Further insight into blood rheolooical disturbances in essential hypertension

Taking into account the insufficient analysis of blood rheological disol-ders in the development of arterial hypertension, the most essential factor deranging the normal blood flow in microvessels, the erythrocyte aggregation, was examined using an improved, ‘Georgian’, technique. The red cell aggregability was assessed both in healthy controls and two groups of patients with mild and severe forms of essential hypertension. Even in the mild form of hypertension the erythrocyte aggregability index was found to be almost twice as high as in the healthy control group. In the severe form it was 18% higher than in the mild form of hypertension. Blood plasma fibrinogen, contributing to the enhanced erythrocyte aggregation, was found significantly increased in the patients. Following therapeutic treatment, both the systolic and diastolic arterial pressures, and the total peripheral resistance decreased. in both groups of patients. The aggregability index and the plasma fibrinogen contents declined simultaneously. It was concluded that the blood rheological disorders, manifested in an enhanced erythrocyteaggregability and blood plasma fibrinogen contents, resulted in the increase of total peripheral resistance and might be reversed in hypertensive patients.