Capillary-Scanning Viscometer for CHF Patients

A new medical device is designed to determine fluctuations in whole blood viscosity that may lead to improved treatments for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF).

Evidence suggests that blood viscosity may be an important factor in determining the risk of heart and arterial diseases. According to the Edinburgh Artery Study (University of Edinburgh, UK, 1977), a difference of only 10% in whole blood viscosity can increase the risk of a cardiovascular event by 20%. People with high blood viscosity may be three times more likely to have a stroke or other cardiovascular event.

A new device called the RheologT, a capillary-scanning viscometer, is now under investigation in a study of patients with CHF. The six-month study will focus on whole blood viscosity changes during recovery from acute heart failure. In particular, the relationship between measured blood viscosity and other diagnostic variables in patient recovery over the progress of two to five days will be evaluated. The device was developed by Rheologics, Inc. (Exton, PA, USA; www.rheologics.com).

"Our hope is that the Rheolog, with its unique ability to measure whole blood viscosity, will greatly assist in our CHF research by providing a comprehensive blood rheology profile,” said Michael E. Stillabower, M.D., a specialist in interventional cardiology at Christiana Care Health Services (Wilmington, DE, USA) and principal investigator of the trial.




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