Effects of acute physical effort versus endurance training on blood rheology in coronary heart disease patients

Abstract

Acute physical work causes hemorheological changes equivalent to those of hemoconcentration whereas physical training favors an overall improvement of blood viscosity factors with time. Patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) exhibit hemorheological abnormalities which are related to the severity of their disease. Question arose whether these abnormalities further worsen by acute physical stress and whether this can be improved by an endurance training. In 26 patients with CHD a bicycle ergometer test was done at admission and after a supervised performance oriented training period of 2 and 4 weeks. Before and after the ergometer test blood was taken to obtain the follow ing parameter: hematocrit (hct), plasma fibrinogen and red cell aggregation (RCA) measured photometrically. Two groups were selected according their performance capacity (G1 < 100 watts < G2). In G1 fibrinogen level and RCA were higher than in G2 and the exercise induced hemoconcentration was more pronounced. An endurance training of 4 weeks reduced the fibrinogen related RCA significantly just as the exercise induced hemoconcentration. Despite a lower performance capacity the hemorheological adaptation in G1 was relatively more effective than in G2. Hct and plasma viscosity did not change significantly.