Assessment of the Association Between Whole Blood Viscosity and Coronary Artery Calcium Score

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Hemodynamics
• Biophysics

Background:

• Whole Blood Viscosity (WBV) is a hemodynamic parameter linked to endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis.
• The association between WBV and significant coronary calcification (Coronary Artery Calcium Score [CACS] ≥ 100) is not well-established.
• Understanding predictors of coronary artery calcification is crucial for cardiovascular risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether calculated WBV predicts high CACS (≥ 100).
• To determine if WBV is an independent predictor of significant coronary artery calcification.
• To identify factors associated with high CACS in patients with suspected coronary artery disease.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, cross-sectional study of 403 patients undergoing coronary computed tomography angiography.
• WBV calculated using the De Simone formula at High Shear Rate (HSR) and Low Shear Rate (LSR).
• Multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors to identify predictors of high CACS.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in mean WBV-HSR or WBV-LSR between patients with CACS < 100 and CACS ≥ 100.
• Neither WBV-HSR nor WBV-LSR independently predicted high CACS in multivariate models.
• Age and sex were identified as the strongest independent predictors of high CACS.

Conclusions:

• Calculated WBV is not an independent predictor of high CACS in this cohort.
• The study did not find an association between WBV and significant coronary artery calcification.
• Further research may explore other hemodynamic parameters or viscosity measurements in relation to coronary artery disease.