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Mean red cell volume as a correlate of blood pressure

D S Sharp1, J D Curb, I J Schatz

  • 1Honolulu Epidemiology Research Unit, Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. dan@hhs.cba.hawaii.edu

Circulation
|May 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Hypertension treatment affects red blood cell measures differently. Nondiuretic treatment lowers mean corpuscular volume (MCV), while diuretic treatment may reveal a direct MCV-blood pressure link, possibly via blood viscosity.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Hematology
  • Cardiovascular Medicine

Background:

  • Clinical studies indicate hypertensives have lower mean corpuscular volume (MCV) than normotensives.
  • Epidemiological studies present conflicting findings, showing no relation or higher MCVs.
  • This study investigates these discrepancies in elderly men within the Honolulu Heart Program.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between hypertension treatment, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and blood pressure parameters.
  • To investigate the influence of red blood cell count (RBC) and its interaction with MCV on blood pressure.
  • To explore the potential role of whole blood viscosity in mediating these associations.

Main Methods:

  • Categorization of elderly men into three groups: no hypertension treatment, diuretic treatment, and nondiuretic treatment.
  • Analysis of mean corpuscular volume (MCV) across treatment groups.
  • Correlation analysis between MCV, red blood cell count (RBC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), with adjustments for RBC.

Main Results:

  • MCV was lower in the nondiuretic treatment group compared to the untreated group.
  • Inverse correlations between MCV and blood pressure were observed in untreated and nondiuretic groups.
  • Diuretic treatment unmasked a direct relationship between MCV and blood pressure after adjusting for RBC.

Conclusions:

  • The relationship between blood pressure and red cell measures is likely mediated by whole blood viscosity.
  • Hematocrit influences whole blood viscosity, which in turn affects peripheral resistance and diastolic blood pressure.
  • At high RBC levels, MCV downregulation may reduce blood viscosity and diastolic blood pressure without compromising blood flow.
Abstract

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