A study on hemorheology of pregnant women with obesity

: The hemorheological properties of women with obesity were studied during pregnancy. Blood viscosity at a shear rate of 0.5/sec was measured with a Contraves Low Shear 100 viscometer and that at a shear rate of 115/sec was measured with a Well-Brookfield viscometer. The levels of blood viscosity (both shear rates) of non-pregnant and pregnant women with obesity were significantly higher compared than those of control women. Plasma viscosity was similar in both groups. The filterability of erythrocytes was determined with a St. George's Filtrometer. The initial relative filtration rate, which represented the deformability of each red cell, was similar in both groups. The clogging rate which represented the properties of red clogging capillaries was increased in non-pregnant women with obesity as compared in non-pregnant control women. However, it was similar in pregnant women in both groups. Hematocrits were increased significantly in women with obesity both in non-pregnant and pregnant states. There was no significant difference between fibrinogen levels in the two groups. The results of the present study suggested that the high frequency of pre-eclampsia among pregnant women with obesity was due to increased Ht and blood viscosity which were factors predisposing to pre-eclampsia.