HEMORHEOLOGY AND RISK PROFILE IN YOUNG CH D-PATIENTS

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there are differences between young CHD-patients (age 40.7 +/- 7.8 years) with a coronary s tenosis and such without a stenosis with regard to haemorheological pa rameters, smoking habits, lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglyceri des) and blood pressure. Venous blood was drawn before coronary angiog raphy from 26 patients with symptoms of coronary heart disease. In add ition to haemorheological parameters (whole blood viscosity, flexibili ty and aggregation of erythrocytes, fibrinogen, plasma- and serum visc osity), total cholesterol, triglycerides and smoking habits were deter mined. Two groups were defined according to the diagnosis after corona ry angiography: group A with and group B without coronary stenosis. Bo th groups differed neither in haemorheological parameters (e.g. fibrin ogen values: 216 +/- 16 mg/dl in group A vs 213 +/- 13 mg/dl in group B [mean +/- 1 SEM]) nor in lipid profile (total cholesterol: 230 +/- 8 mg/dl vs 227 +/- 19 mg/dl). Patients with coronary stenosis smoked si gnificantly (p less-than-or-equal-to 0.007) more than patients without stenosis. These results indicate that in young patients with coronary artery stenosis smoking is the predominant risk factor, while the imp act of other known risk factors gains importance in older patients.