title: Lack of association between systolic blood pressure and blood viscosity in normotensive healthy subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A direct relationship between blood pressure and viscosity has frequently been reported, although clear data are not available. To better understand the relationship between these two variables, we evaluated blood viscosity and blood pressure in a group of healthy subjects without cardiovascular risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy subjects were selected from participants in a campaign of prevention of cardiovascular disease (n = 103). They underwent blood sampling for measurement of plasma and blood viscosity, haematocrit, blood lipids and glucose. The quantity and distribution of body fat was assessed by body mass index and waist/hip ratio, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Systolic blood pressure (SBP) correlated significantly with age (r = 0.222) and waist/hip ratio (r = 0.374). Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) correlated significantly with waist/hip ratio (r = 0.216), haematocrit (r = 0.333) and blood viscosity (r = 0.258). Multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated that the only variable significantly associated with SBP was age, while haematocrit was the only variable significantly associated with DBP. Blood viscosity was closely related to waist/hip ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings show that SBP, in healthy subjects, is not influenced by haematocrit and blood viscosity. In contrast, DBP is related to the values of haematocrit. Among classical cardiovascular risk factors, waist/hip ratio is closely related to blood viscosity.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica G. Salvatore, Magna Græcia University, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Concetta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Irace
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carallo
authors.forename: Faustina
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scavelli
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loprete
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Merante
authors.forename: Agostino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gnasso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001809:Blood Viscosity; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio