This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Fawcett, J.P. Articles by Menkes, D.B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Fawcett, J.P. Articles by Menkes, D.B. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Does Cholesterol Depletion Have Adverse Effects on Blood Rheology?

School of Pharmacy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

D.B. Menkes

School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Blood viscosity ( _B) at shear rates 10 and 100s^-1, plasma viscosity ( _P), hematocrit (Hct), and whole blood cholesterol (Chol) were measured in 50 patients with a history of myocardial infarction or unstable angina pectoris. Erythrocyte morphology was also studied by scanning electron microscopy to determine the proportion of nondiscocytic erythrocytes (NDE). There was a significant positive correlation between Chol and _P ( r = 0.41, P < 0.004) and a highly significant negative correlation (r = -0.69, P < 0.001) between Chol and Tk, a viscometric index of erythrocyte rigidity based on relative blood viscosity at high shear (_B/_P) corrected for Hct. This latter result indicates Chol reduction in this population may increase erythrocyte rigidity Twenty-five patients with Chol values in the range 4.0-8.0 mmol/L were commenced on a standard lipid-lowering diet and after eight weeks half were also given pravastatin (40 mg daily). After thirty-two weeks Chol had fallen significantly more in the pravastatin group (28%) than in the diet only group (11%, P = 0.005). There was no change in _P for either group but a signifi cant increase in Tk for the pravastatin group only (P = 0.011). The change in total choles terol (Chol) for each patient over thirty-two weeks was negatively correlated with both the change in the index of erythrocyte rigidity (Tk) (r = -0.40, P = 0.044) and the change in the proportion of nondiscocytic erythrocytes (NDE) (r = -0.47, P = 0.026). These data suggest that cholesterol reduction within the normolipemic range may be associated with unfavorable changes in blood rheology

Angiology, Vol. 45, No. 3, 199-206 (1994)
DOI: 10.1177/000331979404500304


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?