EFFECTS OF NATURAL BAROMETRIC-PRESSURE AND OXYGEN-TENSION ON IN-VIVO HEMORHEOLOGICAL PARAMETERS

Jordan is a unique country where you have people living at 390 m below sea level at Dead sea area and others living at 1025 m above sea leve l at the capital Amman. The horizontal distance between these two area s is relatively short not exceeding 30 Km. High school students from e ach of Amman and Dead Sea areas were compared in respect to venous blo od RBC, Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH, MCHC, WBC and washed erythrocyte deformabil ity and intracellular electrolytes. Whole blood results of RBC, Hb, PC V and MCHC were significantly lower and erythrocyte MCV values were si gnificantly higher at Dead Sea level compared with Amman. Erythrocytes from students living at Dead Sea area also showed significantly lower filtration index values (i.e higher deformability) and higher intrace llular K+ concentration compared with Amman. This study demonstrates t he importance of environmental oxygen tension in determining the blood flow in vivo. The implication of this phenomenon is obvious when desi gning and interpreting clinical studies and also in advising patients with haemorheolgical problems.