STUDY OF HEMORHEOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN MATURITY-ONSET DIABETIC CASES

Freshly detected diabetic (maturity-onset) cases were studied for thei r hemorheological parameters before starting the treatment. The parame ters studied were, whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, red cell r igidity, red cell aggregation, hematocrit and fibrinogen. All the para meters were significantly altered. Plasma viscosity, whole blood visco sity and red cell rigidity showed increase with very high level of sig nificance (<0.005) as compared to that of normal controls. Hematocrit was significantly increased, Rheological parameters rise even if the f asting blood sugar is around 180 mg/100 ml which is in variance with D intenfass and Davis (1). It may be due to the absence of any antidiabe tic treatment or since the disease is recently diagnosed the correctio n of impaired autoregulation has yet to start in the body. Diabetes st arts affecting the body as soon as it gets diagnosed or may be even be fore that and hemorheological changes precede the microangiopathy that appears to show the cause effect relationship between hemorheological changes and microangiopathy respectively.