Hemorheological dysfunction in cardiac syndrome X

Abstract

Background: Cardiac syndrome X (CSX) is often described as angina or angina-like chest pain with a normal coronary arteriogram, yet the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. The aim of the current study was to determine alterations in blood rheology (erythrocyte aggregation and deformability, plasma viscosity – PV) in patients with CSX.

Methods: The study comprised 26 CSX patients (55.77 ± 12.33 years) and 37 age- and sex-matched (56.32 ± 11.98 years) healthy controls. Erythrocyte aggregation and deformability were measured by an ektacytometer and PV with a rotational viscometer.

Results: Erythrocyte deformability measured at 1.69 and 3.00 Pa was lower in the CSX patients compared to the controls (p = .0001 and .017, respectively). Erythrocyte aggregation index (AI) (72.758 ± 7.65 vs. 66.483 ± 6.63, p = .002) and PV measured at a shear rate of 375 s⁻¹ (1.932 ± 0.225 vs. 1.725 ± 0.331, p = .019) were significantly higher in patients with CSX. When AI, RDW and erythrocyte deformability measured at 1.69 Pa were evaluated together, it was observed that the increase in AI and RDW augments the risk of having CSX (OR: 1.2 and 2.65, respectively), while the rise in deformability decreases this risk (OR = 0.02).

Conclusions: Hemorheological impairments are associated with CSX.

Keywords:

• Erythrocyte aggregation
• cardiac syndrome X
• red blood cell deformability
• plasma viscosity
• microvascular angina

Acknowledgements

The abstract of this study was presented as poster in the 28th National Congress of Nuclear Medicine, Swissotel İzmir, April 6–10 2016. Nuclear Medicine Seminars, 2016;2(Suppl. 1):24 and in the Joint Meeting of the Federation of European Physiological Societies, Paris, France, June 29th–July 1st 2016. Poster abstract was printed and in the Acta Physiologica, 2016;217(Suppl. 708):37.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Pamukkale University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit under Grant number 2015HZL019.