Hyperviscosity as a possible risk factor for cerebral ischemic complications in atrial fibrillation patients.
Recent studies have suggested that hyperviscosity is frequent in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The aims of this study were to evaluate if hemorheologic alterations play a role in the occurrence of cerebral ischemic events in patients with AF and to explore a possible association between inflammation and hyperviscosity in these patients. Sixty-two patients with AF with a history of >or=1 cerebral ischemic event and 94 patients with AF without cerebral ischemic events were studied. A control population included 130 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers. Hemorheologic variables (whole-blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, the erythrocyte deformability index, and hematocrit), fibrinogen, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels were assayed. An alteration in whole blood viscosity at 94.5 seconds(-1) and the erythrocyte deformability index were found more frequently in patients with previous ischemic events on univariate and multivariate analyses (odds ratio 3.19, p=0.023 and odds ratio 4.26, p=0.002, respectively) adjusted for age, gender, hypertension, diabetes, history of coronary artery disease, left ventricular dysfunction, smoking habit, dyslipidemia, hematocrit, fibrinogen, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and hemorheologic parameters. These results should stimulate prospective studies on the role of hemorheologic alterations in the occurrence of cerebral ischemic complications in patients with AF.
Cecchi
Emanuele
E
Dipartimento di Area Critica Medico-Chirurgica, Centro Trombosi, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Firenze, Italy.
Marcucci
Rossella
R
Poli
Daniela
D
Antonucci
Emilia
E
Abbate
Rosanna
R
Gensini
Gian Franco
GF
Prisco
Domenico
D
Mannini
Lucia
L
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood*; D001809:Blood Viscosity; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004907:Erythrocyte Deformability; D005260:Female; D018056:Hemorheology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors