Hormonal Control of Blood Viscosity

The hemodynamic milieu differs throughout the vascular tree because of varying vascular geometry and blood velocities. Accordingly, the risk of turbulence, which is dictated by the Reynolds and Dean numbers, also varies. Relatively high blood viscosity is needed to prevent turbulence in the left ventricle and aorta, where high-velocity blood changes direction several times. Low blood viscosity is needed in the capillaries, where erythrocytes pass through vessels with a diameter smaller than their own. In addition, higher blood viscosity is necessary when the cardiac output and peak blood velocity increase as a part of a sympathetic response or anemia, which occurs following significant hemorrhage. Blood viscosity, as reflected in systemic vascular resistance and vascular wall shear stress, is sensed, respectively, by cardiomyocyte stretching in the left ventricle and mechanoreceptors for wall shear stress in the carotid sinus. By controlling blood volume and red blood cell mass, the renin-aldosterone-angiotensin system and the systemic vascular resistance response control the hematocrit, the strongest intrinsic determinant of blood viscosity. These responses provide gross control of blood viscosity. Fine-tuning of blood viscosity in transient conditions is provided by hormonal control of erythrocyte deformability. The short half-life of some of these hormones limits their activity to specific vascular beds. Hormones that modulate blood viscosity include erythropoietin, angiotensin II, brain natriuretic factor, epinephrine, prostacyclin E2, antidiuretic hormone, and nitric oxide.