[Study of blood viscosity for evaluation of peripheral circulation in ischemic heart disease]

An important role in the characterization of the functions of the circulatory system belongs to the interrelationship between blood viscosity and central haemodynamics. Blood viscosity was studied in comparison with the pulse rate, arterial pressure and Robinson's index in patients with chronic forms of ischaemic heart disease. The examinations were conducted at rest and at the peak of sub-maximal bicycle tests. In normal individuals blood viscosity increases along with the increasing workload of the exercise. In patients with ischaemic heart disease performing threshold exercises the shifts in blood viscosity were varidirectional. In patients without circulatory insufficiency blood viscosity was changing in the same way as in normal individuals. In patients with cardiac insufficiency it either remained unchanged, or decreased. An increasing blood viscosity in normals under physical exercises may be interpreted as a mechanism of homeostasis preservation. A lack of growing blood viscosity under threshold exercises in patients with ischaemic heart disease and circulatory insufficiency indicates to disorders in the mechanisms of homeostasis preservation. Increasing blood viscosity may be due to impaired tissue oxygenation.