Key result
ACS is linked to ~29% higher coronary low-shear and high-shear whole blood viscosity.
Why the study?
Most clinical studies measure whole blood viscosity from peripheral samples, potentially ignoring differences in coronary artery whole blood viscosity in ACS patients.
Is whole blood viscosity elevated in the coronary arteries of patients with acute coronary syndrome compared to those without?
Observational (n=38)
Is whole blood viscosity elevated in the coronary arteries of patients with acute coronary syndrome compared to those without?
Absolute Event Rate: 295.3% vs 228.5%
p-value: p=0.016
Whole blood viscosity is significantly elevated in patients with acute coronary syndrome, and peripheral samples accurately reflect coronary viscosity.
Coronary WBV is higher in ACS yet matches peripheral samples; leaves open whether direct coronary measurement informs risk beyond routine peripheral testing.
OBJECTIVES: As most clinical studies measure whole blood viscosity (WBV) from peripheral samples, potential differences in WBV obtained from the coronary arteries are often ignored. This study investigated differences in WBV measured from coronary artery specimens in patients with and without acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS AND RESULTS: Consecutive patients with chest pain who underwent diagnostic coronary angiography were divided into two groups [non-ACS (n = 16), ACS (n = 22)]. The ACS group consisted of unstable angina (n = 13) and acute myocardial infarction (n = 9) patients. Two blood samples were obtained from each patient at the both coronary artery ostia prior to coronary angiography. Low-shear and high-shear blood viscosities (BVs) were measured at shear rates of 1 and 300 s-1, respectively, by a scanning capillary tube viscometer (Bio-Visco Inc., South Korea). Both low-shear and high-shear BVs obtained from peripheral, left and right coronary arteries were not different in both groups. Mean coronary low-shear WBV values obtained in ACS group were 29.2% higher than those in non-ACS group (295.3 ± 87.2 mP vs. 228.5 ± 69.2 mP, p = 0.016). Mean coronary high-shear WBV values obtained in ACS group were 15.6% higher than those in non-ACS group (42.9 ± 10.0 mP vs. 37.1 ± 4.6 mP, p = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Direct measurement of WBV from the coronary artery showed no differences with peripheral samples. Future larger studies are needed to clarify our results.
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Lee et al. (2013) conducted an observational in Acute coronary syndrome (n=38). Acute coronary syndrome vs. Non-ACS was evaluated on Mean coronary low-shear whole blood viscosity (p=0.016). Acute coronary syndrome was associated with significantly higher mean coronary low-shear (295.3 vs 228.5 mP; p=0.016) and high-shear whole blood viscosity compared to non-ACS patients.
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