Haemorheological factors in a group of elderly patients with acute mental confusion

Abstract

The behaviour of haemorheological factors was studied by instrumental investigations in a group of 50 elderly subjects hospitalized for confusional states probably not secondary to an underlying organ pathology. Clinically, 19 were suffering from overall malnutrition, 30 from dehydration and one from frostbite. Substitute therapy given during hospitalization resulted in complete recovery in all patients. Although all haemorheological parameters had improved at the time of dischange, erythrocyte filtrability values never reached those of the normal control subjects. It is suggested that further studies should be carried out to establish whether there is a recognizable haemorheological pattern of aging in healthy subjects, as well as to determine the effect that various nutrients and a state of dehydration exert on the haemorheological parameters.