Correlation of metabolic and hemorrheological parameters in diabetes and hyperlipidemia

: Blood viscosity, plasma viscosity and erythrocyte filterability were studied in 46 diabetic and in 24 hyperlipidemic patients and were compared with those of a group of normal controls; 35 diabetics were type I (IDDM, 13 of whom complication-free and 22 with micro- and macroangiopathy), 11 diabetics were type II (NIDDM, 5 of whom complication-free and 6 with micro- and macroangiopathy). Erythrocyte filterability was lower in type I and II diabetes than in controls, and was also lower in diabetics with vascular complications than in complication-free patients. Erythrocyte filterability inversely correlated with HbA1c and with plasma uric acid levels. The hyperlipidemic group included 6 type IIa, 6 type IIb, 8 type IV and 4 type V patients. All hyperlipidemic patients were examined before and during diet and drug therapy. In all the hyperlipidemic patients blood viscosity inversely correlated with HDL-cholesterol, while plasma viscosity directly correlated with plasma uric acid. All these findings suggest that some hemorheological factors can play a role in the onset and progression of vascular complications of diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemias, and that the hemorheological changes correlate with the severity of the metabolic abnormalities.