High blood viscosity can indicate greater risk of death in COVID-19 hospitalised patients: Study

Patients with COVID-19 who are hospitalised and have a high estimated blood viscosity are more likely to die from complications. Blood viscosity increases the danger of blood clots and limits blood flow to tiny arteries. This measurement of blood thickness can be used to predict mortality.

The American College of Cardiology Journal published this study. This is the first large-scale research of COVID-19 patients to look at blood viscosity as a predictor of death. A simple estimate of blood viscosity was more robust in identifying hospitalised patients at risk of dying from COVID-19 problems than conventional measurements of inflammation and the blood clotting biomarker D-dimer.

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Blood viscosity is not directly assessed in hospitalised patients, but doctors generally measure hematocrit and globulins (the difference between total protein and albumin) in all patients for diagnosis and monitoring therapy. Blood viscosity may be calculated using the hematocrit and globulins. The estimate of blood viscosity was shown to be more significantly linked with mortality in COVID-19 participants than other frequently used risk stratification variables in this study. This is a simple computation that might be added to electronic medical records or lab sheets to increase the probability of survival in COVID-19 hospitalised patients.

Acute phase reactants (fibrinogen, macroglobulins) associated with acute COVID-19 infections increase blood viscosity. Blood viscosity is a measure of both acute phase reactants and cellular components that can increase during infection. To decrease the severity of the acute phase reaction to COVID-19, clinicians may consider therapeutic heparin, hydration, or glucocorticoid escalation when blood viscosity is high.

“This study highlights the significance of assessing blood viscosity in COVID-19 patients early in their hospitalisation, which is easily obtainable through standard lab testing.” The findings, according to Dr. Rosenson, “may assist select the appropriate treatment plan for at-risk patients and help improve outcomes.” We are now researching the impact of therapeutic heparin on the likelihood of problems during acute COVID-19 infections, which may assist patients with high blood viscosity.”

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