The role of hemorheological factors in hypertensne retinopathy

Abstract

Hemorheological factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of different cardiovascular diseases. In the present study the fundus appearance and hemorheological parameters (plasma and whole blood viscosity *WBV* by capillary viscosimetry; fibrinogen level by the Clauss method) of 33 hypertensive patients (23 females, 10 males; mean age: 55 years) were examined. The fundus appearance showed retinopathy in all the cases between stages I-III. All the measured hemorheological parameters of the examined patients were in the pathological range (WBV at 90 lis: 5.18 mPas) and were significantly (p < 0.01) higher than in healthy controls (WBV at 90 1/s: 4.18 mPas). The hemorheological factors showed a parallel deterioration with the fundus appearance, namely their values were significantly (p < 0.01) higher in patients with a fundus appearance stage III (WBV at 90 1/s: 6.02 mPas) than stage I (WBV at 90 1/s: 4.51 mPas). Our results show that there is a correlation between hemorheological parameters and fundus appearance in hypertensives, and this suggests that hemorheological factors may playa role in the development of hypertensive retinopathy.