Affiliations: Corso Pareggiato di Semeiotica Medica, Divisione di Medicina Generale II (Titolare Prof. A. Craveri), Università degli Studi di Milano Istituto di Scienze Biomediche San Paolo, Via Di Rudini, 8–20142 Milano, Italy
Correspondence:
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Correspondence to G. Tornaghi.
Note: [] Accepted by: Editor J. Stuart
Abstract: Blood rheology measurements (whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, hematocrit and fibrinogen) and fibrinolytic and metabolic tests (plasma fibrinolytic activity, C-peptide, total cholesterol, triglycerides) were performed in 40 obese subjects before and after one year of hypocaloric diet. Our data show a slight decrease after weight loss of whole blood viscosity at 0.1 sec−1 but not at 1.3 and 94.5 sec−1. Hypocaloric diet did not affect plasma viscosity, plasma fibrinogen or plasma fibrinolytic activity despite a significant lowering of body mass index and C-peptide. We conclude that in obesity there are metabolic, coagulation, fibrinolytic, and rheological changes that persist after weight loss.
