[Rheologic risk factors of apoplexy]

There can be no doubt about the relevance of various established risk factors of stroke, which therefore will not be discussed. When trying to manipulate factors as hypertension, hyperlipoproteinemia and smoking, in most cases an improvement of the flow properties of blood can be observed. This makes flow properties at least very likely to trigger cerebral ischaemia and stroke. Furthermore there is increasing evidence, that single factors, contributing to a deterioration of blood rheology (i.e. haematocrit, fibrinogen, plasma viscosity, red cell rigidity) may be considered risk factors of apoplexie depending on the quality of interaction. There seem to exist positive correlations to the extent of atherosclerotic alterations of the vessel system. Blood viscositiy and red cell aggregation can be interpreted as the respective state of different pathologic profiles of blood rheology and thus might reach pathologic levels already before it is notified by single factors. In conclusion there is a good chance for blood viscosity and red cell aggregation to play an independent role as risk factors of apoplexie derived from cerebral ischaemia.