The effect of aspirin on hemorheological parameters of patients with diabetic retinopathy

Hemorheological factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of severe complications of diabetes. The diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in patients aged 20-65 years. In our study we investigated the effect of aspirin on the hemorheological parameters in patients with different diabetic retinopathies. Hemorheological parameters (hematocrit, fibrinogen, plasma and whole blood viscosity, red blood cell aggregation) of diabetic patients with non-proliferative (n=14, mean age: 66 years) and proliferative retinopathy (n=8, mean age: 48 years) were measured. The results between the two groups were compared: twelve patients were taking aspirin (group A), while ten patients were not (group B).Hematocrit, fibrinogen, plasma and whole blood viscosity were significantly higher (p < 0.05-0.001) in patients with diabetic retinopathy who did not take aspirin than in those who took. No significant difference was observed in red blood cell aggregation parameters between the two groups. We could not find any significant difference in the measured parameters between patients with non-proliferative and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. According to our results, all the measured hemorheological parameters were in the pathological range, although aspirin treatment could decrease these factors and thus may help to prevent the progression of severe diabetic retinopathy and perhaps blindness.