Affiliations: Istituto di Clinica Medica e Malattie Cardiovascolari, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy | Cattedra di Cardiologia, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Note: [] Corresponding author: Prof. Gregorio Caimi, Via Leonardo da Vinci, 52, 90145 Palermo, Italy. Tel.: +39 91 6554406; Fax: +39 91 6554535.
Abstract: In a group of subjects (n = 35) with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) subdivided according to the presence (n = 16) or absence (n = 19) of left atrial spontaneous echocontrast (SEC), demonstrated using transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, we evaluated the principal haemorheological determinants: whole‐blood viscosity, plasma and serum viscosity, haematocrit, whole‐blood filtration (VBC) and mean erythrocyte aggregation (MEA). From the obtained data it was evident that in subjects with nonvalvular AF there was an impairment of the haemorheological profile that seemed more evident in AF subjects with SEC, although no significant haemorheological difference was present between AF subjects with and without SEC. These findings need to be underlined considering that this clinical condition is associated to a major thromboembolic risk.
