Hyperfibrinogenemia and Hyperviscous Plasma in Hypertensive Africans

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Abstract
Changes in plasma fibrinogen concentrations (PFC) and relative plasma vis cosity (RPV) were investigated in 61 Nigerian Africans while they were being treated for essential hypertension. The association of these hemorheologic vari ables with blood pressure was examined. An analogous study was done on 30 normotensive controls for comparison. The hypertensive patients had, overall, a significant increase in both PFC and RPV (p < 0.001) as compared with control values. However, 44.3% of the hypertensive patients had PFC and RPV values within the defined normal lim its. This indicates that in a proportion of the hypertensives, treatment notwith standing, PFC and RPV are altered only within the physiologic limits. Comparison of PFC and RPV with the degree of hypertension (mild: diasto lic blood pressure (DBP) = 90mmHg; moderate: DBP = 91-99mmHg; severe: DBP ≥ 100mmHg) showed significant stepwise increases at the moderate and severe levels as compared with the mild level of hypertension. The hyperfibrinogenemia and concomitant hyperviscous plasma observed in the present study could either play a role in the pathogenesis of the hypertension or be the consequence of the hypertension itself, at least in some patients.