The role of hemorheological factors in hypertensne retinopathy

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Vekasi, J. | Toth, K. | Juricskay, I. | Kovacs, B.

Affiliations: Department of Ophthalmology, Division of Cardiology, Medical University of Pees, Hungary | 1st Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Medical University of Pees, Hungary

Abstract: Hemorheological factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of different cardiovascular diseases. In the present study the fundus appearance and hemorheological parameters (plasma and whole blood viscosity *WBV* by capillary viscosimetry; fibrinogen level by the Clauss method) of 33 hypertensive patients (23 females, 10 males; mean age: 55 years) were examined. The fundus appearance showed retinopathy in all the cases between stages I-III. All the measured hemorheological parameters of the examined patients were in the pathological range (WBV at 90 lis: 5.18 mPas) and were significantly (p < 0.01) higher than in healthy controls (WBV at 90 1/s: 4.18 mPas). The hemorheological factors showed a parallel deterioration with the fundus appearance, namely their values were significantly (p < 0.01) higher in patients with a fundus appearance stage III (WBV at 90 1/s: 6.02 mPas) than stage I (WBV at 90 1/s: 4.51 mPas). Our results show that there is a correlation between hemorheological parameters and fundus appearance in hypertensives, and this suggests that hemorheological factors may playa role in the development of hypertensive retinopathy.

Keywords: Hypertensive retinopathy, blood rheology, cardiovascular diseases

DOI: 10.3233/CH-1996-16210

Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 187-192, 1996