Blood viscosity of individuals with alcohol abuse

Abstract

Aim: Alcohol abuse is accepted as a serious public health problem worldwide, and is a well-known cause of systemic alterations in the organism. The aim of our study is to investigate whether heavy alcohol consumption results in increased blood viscosity in men. We compared the levels of blood viscosity with the age-matched healthy male volunteers. Material and Methods: In order to study the blood rheology of alcohol abusers, we measured blood viscosity in 20 male patients prior to the detoxification treatment. Blood viscosity measurement was performed using Harkness Capillary viscometer. Results: Comparison of blood viscosity yielded a statistically significant elevation (p<0.001) for alcoholic individuals. Conclusion: We conclude that, among other factors causing cardiovascular diseases, such as increased blood fibrinogen and triglyceride levels, increase in blood viscosity due to chronic heavy alcohol consumption is an exacerbating factor for coronary diseases in alcoholic individuals.