© 1998 American Heart Association, Inc.
Original Contributions |
Relationship Between Plasma Viscosity and the Severity of Coronary Heart Disease
From the Institut für Klinische Chemie und Laboratoriumsmedizin, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster (R.J., H.U., G.A.); Städtisches Klinikum Solingen (J.H.); Institut für Arterioskleroseforschung an der Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität Münster (H.S., G.A.); and LVA-Klinik Salzetal, Bad Salzuflen (R.S., E.K.), Germany.
Correspondence to Ralf Junker, Institut für Klinische Chemie und Laboratoriumsmedizin, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Albert Schweitzer-Straße 33, 48129 Münster, Germany. E-mail junkerr{at}uni-muenster.de
Abstract—Several studies have indicated that plasma viscosity contributes to cardiovascular risk in men. So far, a significant relationship between plasma viscosity and the severity of coronary heart disease has not been found. Thus, the present study is the first to report on the relationship of plasma viscosity and the severity of coronary heart disease. In a collective of 1142 male myocardial infarction patients, plasma viscosity and additional laboratory parameters were determined. Atherosclerotic changes were quantified by coronary angiography. Patients were divided into groups without any, and with one to three stenosed vessels. We found a positive relationship between plasma viscosity and the severity of coronary heart disease, even after adjusting groups for age, fibrinogen, and use of diuretics. Mean plasma viscosity ranged from 1.141±0.035 mPa s in patients without stenosed vessels to 1.162±0.044 mPa s in patients who had three coronary vessels with stenoses >50%. Differences between the groups were significant (P<0.001 to 0.05), with two exceptions: differences between patients without any and with one stenosed vessel, as well as between patients with one and two stenosed vessels, did not reach the significance level. On the whole, we can give further support to the hypothesis that cardiovascular risk factors and coronary heart disease may be linked by plasma viscosity.
Key Words: coronary heart disease • myocardial infarction • coronary risk factor • blood rheology • fibrinogen
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