Dynamics of the changes of blood and plasma rheological properties in ischaemic stroke

The aim of the study was to establish relation between hemorheological disturbances and the degree of pathological changes in patients with ischaemic cerebral stroke as well as to examine the dynamics of changes in blood and plasma viscosity during hospitalization and treatment. The patients were divided into two groups according to ischaemic changes extent recognized on the basis of tomogram and clinical examination: group I--ten patients at the age of 64 +/- 11.8 years with hemiparesis and with hypodense cerebral foci several mm in diameter; group II--eight patients at the age of 65 +/- 10 years with hemiplegia and more severe course of disease. The hypodense foci in the brain were several centimetres Blood viscosity measurements were carried out by Brookfild's viscometer using cone-plate system and plasma viscosity by Ubbelohd's capillary viscometer at the temperature of 37 degrees C. Apart from rheological examinations, blood morphological measurements, ESR and biochemical examinations, such as sugar blood concentration, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and total serum proteins were performed. It was found that in patients in the group II both viscosity of whole blood and plasma as well as corrected viscosity were significantly higher. What is more, degree of rheological disturbances of blood and plasma was related to severity of the course of the disease. Observation of the dynamics of changes in rheological parameters showed that rheological parameters of blood and plasma during hospitalization and treatment improved along with recovery.