CIRCULATORY EFFECTS OF CHRONIC HYPERVOLEMIA IN POLYCYTHEMIA VERA*

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Abstract
Resting stroke volume was elevated (39%) in each of 10 patients with polycythemia and was related to the increased blood volume (R=+0.91). Cardiac output (dye dilution) was increased in 5 patients. Because of the elevated hematocrit, the rate of plasma flow was the same for the normovolemic and polycythemic groups. Oxygen consumption was related to blood volume only in the polycythemic subjects (R=+0.89). In chronic hypervolemia, as seen in polycythemia vera, blood volume appeared to be an important cardiac regulatory mechanism, whereas the increased availability of O2 had no demonstrable effect.