Haemorheological and fibrinolytic activity in hypertensive Nigerians.

Hypertension is the most significant cardiovascular risk factor to emerge in developing countries. 64 hypertensives (40 old hypertensives and 18 newly diagnosed hypertensives) and 40 age and sex matched normotensives controls were studied. Plasma fibrinogen concentration (PFC), euglobulin lysis time (ELT) and relative plasma viscosity (RPV) and relative whole blood viscosity (RWBV) were estimated. The PFC, RPV, RWBV and ELT were significantly higher in new and old hypertensives (P < 0.005), respectively, compared with controls, while the RPV was significantly higher (P < 0.005) in new hypertensives than old hypertensives. The significantly higher PFC, RPV and ELT in new hypertensives correspond to higher BP in the new hypertensives than old hypertensives. There were consistence significance levels in PFC, RPV and ELT in both female hypertensives and controls (P < 0.005), respectively, with higher BP in male than female. Though there were no significant mean differences between the hypertensive patients in the first two years of the disease, there were cumulative consistent increase in fibrinogen levels and euglobulin lysis time from two years; while RPV shows inconsistence variation until the 5th year. We conclude that a defective rheology and fibrin-clearing mechanism may contribute to aetiology of vascular complications in hypertensive patients especially in the long term.