6533b823fe1ef96bd127e9ad

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Hemorheologic profile of hyperlipidemic patients treated with gemfibrozil

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Abstract We measured the plasma lipid levels and the macrorheologic (whole-blood, plasma, and serum viscosity levels; fibrinogen; hematocrit; mean erythrocyte aggregation; and whole-blood filterability) and microrheologic (erythrocyte membrane fluidity and red cell membrane protein lateral mobility) determinants in a group of 19 hyperlipidemic patients (Fredrickson's classification phenotype IIa, 12 patients; phenotype IV, 4; phenotype IIb, 3) at baseline and after 45 and 90 days of treatment with gemfibrozil (900 mg orally once a day). At baseline we noted statistically significant increases in plasma viscosity level, fibrinogen, and mean erythrocyte aggregation, as well as a statistically significant decrease in whole-blood filterability, erythrocyte membrane fluidity, and red cell membrane protein lateral mobility in hyperlipidemic patients compared with healthy subjects. The gemfibrozil treatment provided a statistically significant decrease of the plasma lipid levels, but had little effect on the hemorheologic profile.