[Clinical implications of rheology in cardiovascular diseases]

Although a close relationship between haemorrheological disorders and thrombogenesis has been known for a long time, only the recent introduction of newly developed analytical techniques has allowed a precise assessment of the main haemorrheological parameters. The employment of these techniques in routine clinical practice has enabled, for instance, a more accurate investigation of the pathogenetic triggers underlying numerous thrombotic disorders affecting the cardiovascular system. A survey of the most exhaustive prospective studies shows that some haemorrheological parameters (e.g. plasma and blood viscosity) as well as their main determining factors (e.g. haematocrit and fibrinogen) are well defined independent cardiovascular risk factors. Nonetheless, further large scale studies are required to adequately dissect the relative contribution of both haemorrheological alterations and other thrombophilic factors in the pathogenesis of different cardiovascular diseases related to thrombotic disorders.