Drugs affecting blood rheology—a review

Abstract

Many pharmacological substances act on blood cells, modifying their rheological properties. Studies performed on this subject have been quite varied and it is often difficult to draw conclusions from them.

The author intends to propose a classification system for drugs according to their direct, indirect, global or specific effects on blood rheology.

This classification is only preliminary since existing studies of the effect of drugs on blood rheology are fragmentary and often lack precision.

Key Words:

• blood rheology
• red cell deformability
• rouleaux formation
• drugs
• pharmacology