Abstract
Our studies in theoretical, experimental and clinical haemorheology moved through a number of stages, but each of these stages contributed to a better insight into the microrheology of blood. While the first two stages dealt with instrumentation and comprehension of blood viscosity factors (i.e., concepts of the internal viscosity of the red cell, of the “inversion phenomenon” in the microcapillary flow, of spectra of coagulation times, viscosity and morphology of artificial thrombi), in the third stage these viscosity factors were correlated with protein levels or ratios, cholesterol, parathyroid hormone, SGOT, etc., and ABO blood groups. In the fourth stage a correlation was sought between viscosity and clinical syndromes, physical fitness, ECG abnormality, etc. In recent studies the submaximal exercise work was found to be significantly related to the blood viscosity factors. Experimental work presented herewith shows a significant correlation between diastolic and/or systolic blood pressure and blood viscosity or blood viscosity factors. Of particular importance appears to be rigidity of red cells, and its role in blood pressure and viscosity homeostasis is considered. There is evidence for autoregulation of blood viscosity which might be involving a hypothetical “viscoreceptor” mechanism. Elevation of any of the blood viscosity factors is a ‘risk factor’ and a warning sign, the latter most important in the silent disorders.
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