Some hemorheological factors in patients with cerebrovascular ischemia

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: To study hemorheological factors in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease (not secondary to embolic cardiopathy). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We assessed 40 patients with an average age of 64.5 years; 26 had cerebral infarcts due to alterations in major blood vessels and 14 had lacunar infarcts. Forty persons with no cerebrovascular disease acted as controls. The hematological studies were done between three weeks and six months after the initial ictus. RESULTS: Blood viscosity and plasma fibrinogen concentrations were significantly higher in the patients than in the controls. However, hematocrit values were similar in all three groups studied. With regard to the hematocrit, fibrinogen levels and blood viscosity, no differences were seen between the group with damage to the great vessels and those with lacunar infarcts.