Objective: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is characterized by arterial narrowing caused by atherosclerosis, leading to claudication and ischemic pain. Elevated whole blood viscosity has been reported in both PAD and hypertension. This study aimed to compare whole blood viscosity between patients with and without PAD who had a similar prevalence of hypertension. Design and method: Medical records of adults (above 18 years) who visited the Emergency Department of Jeonbuk National University Hospital between January and December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. PAD was defined by ICD 10 code I702. Patients with acute inflammatory disease, malignancy, autoimmune or immunodeficiency disorders, severe bleeding, use of antithrombotic agents, or neuropsychiatric illness were excluded. Whole blood viscosity was measured using a scanning capillary system (Rheo SC KIT, Republic of Korea) at low (1s-1, LSR) and high (300 s-1, HSR) shear rates. Results: A total of 296 subjects were analyzed (PAD group, n = 216; non PAD group, n = 80). There was no difference in the incidence of hypertension between PDA group and non-PAD group. The incidence of diabetes mellitus, as well as age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and smoking status did not differ between groups. The PAD group showed significantly higher mean ranks for whole blood viscosity at both LSR and HSR compared with the non-PAD group (LSR: 191.72 vs. 134; HSR: 203.51 vs. 128.78; both p < 0.001). Mann-Whitney U test showed significantly higher whole blood viscosity in the PAD group (LSR mean rank: 6760.50 vs 5510.50, p<0.001). Conclusions: Whole blood viscosity was significantly elevated in patients with PAD, independent of hypertension, indicating altered hemorheological properties inherent to PAD.
Kim et al. (Fri,) studied this question.