Affiliations: Hemorheology and Thrombosis Unit, Department of Clinical Pathology, La Fe University Hospital, 46009 Valencia, Spain
Note: [] Corresponding author: Amparo Vayá Montaña, MD, PhD, Hemorheology and Thrombosis Unit, Department of Clinical Pathology, La Fe University Hospital, Avda. Campanar 21, Valencia 46009, Spain. Tel.: +34 96 386 2714; Fax: +34 96 386 8789; E‐mail: [email protected].
Abstract: The effect of acenocoumarol on hemorheological variables was measured in 35 non‐valvular chronic atrial fibrillation patients before starting oral anticoagulant therapy (basal) and one and two months after beginning treatment (INR‐2,3). Fibrinogen increased significantly from the basal situation: 332±99 mg/dl to 386±96 mg/dl in the second month (p<0.05). However, this small increase in fibrinogen is not large enough to mediate other rheological changes, and whole blood filterability, blood viscosity, plasma viscosity and erythrocyte deformability and aggregability remained unchanged after treatment. These results suggest that acenocoumarol does not affect rheological parameters and can therefore be used as a “neutral drug” for rheological studies in cardiovascular patients under oral anticoagulant therapy.
