Haemorheological disturbances in hypertension: the influence of diabetes and smoking

Patients suffering from diabetes or hypertension commonly exhibit increased blood viscosity compared with healthy controls. This is primarily the resu lt of elevated plasma fibrinogen concentration. Cigarette smokers also exhi bit raised blood viscosity but in their case the main cause is a raised hae matocrit. In this paper the effects of concurrent hypertension, diabetes an d cigarette smoking on blood viscosity is reviewed. Evidence is presented t hat the haemorheological disturbances associated with each of these modalit ies are additive when present together in a subject.