The influence of hemorrheology on the practice of clinical medicine
Dormandy, J.A.
La Ricerca in Clinica e in Laboratorio 13(Suppl 3): 7-27
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0390-5748 PMID: 6369497 Document Number: 217197
Hemorheological considerations are beginning to alter routine clinical practice. A hemorheological defect may play a primary etiological role not only in classical diseases like polycythemia, but also in conditions such as essential hypertension and non-coronary angina. Hemorheological abnormalities may also play a part in arterial thrombosis through a number of mechanisms, and are a frequent accompaniment in many cases of atherosclerosis, where they carry a bad prognosis. Our new awareness of the dangers of a high hematocrit, even in the normal range, has had widespread consequences on the management of not only all kinds of ischemic disease, but also for instance on surgical practice in general. Finally, hemorheological treatment has much wider applications than simply in conditions where a hemorheological abnormality has been detected. Treatment aimed at improving the flow properties of blood, whether by drugs, hemodilution or plasmapheresis, may also be the most practical and effective therapy for ischemia due to insufficient blood flow down narrowed arteries.