Whole blood viscosity and thrombus burden

What is it about?

Increased whole blood viscosity (WBV) is associated with increased infarct area, impaired microvascular circulation and mortality in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).We aimed to analyze the association between the WBV and thrombus burden (TB) in STEMI patients.

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Why is it important?

This cross-sectional study included 167 STEMI patients who received primary percutaneous coronary intervention. WBV values were assessed using hematocrit and total protein values, and low shear rate(LSR) and high shear rate(HSR) were calculated. Angiographic TB was assessed according to the definition of the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) study group. The cases were dichotomized into low TB (grade 1-3) (n = 87) and high TB (grade 4-5) (n = 80) groups.Our study show that increased WBV was an independent predictor for the presence of high TB in patients with STEMI