The implication of haemorheologic abnormalities in cerebrovascular disease

In a total of 294 patients with CVD recently the implication of haemorheologic abnormalities has been investigated. Alterations of haematocrit, fibrinogen and red cell filterability were identified as most important factors leading to increased relative blood viscosity and were frequently associated with severe vessel wall changes. In 36 asymptomatic volunteers with evidence of atherosclerotic lesions a relative increase of the fibrinogen level together with changes of blood viscosity were noted and during follow up one patient developed an ischaemic stroke. The importance of the haemorheologic alterations for therapeutic measures is based on the inverse relationship of blood viscosity with cerebral blood flow indicating that lowering of blood viscosity is followed by an increase of flow.