🔅 Plasma viscosity is a measure of the thickness or resistance to flow of the plasma, which is the liquid part of the blood.
– Plasma viscosity is affected by the amount and type of proteins in the blood, which can increase as part of the normal response to infection or inflammation, or abnormally in certain diseases.
– Plasma viscosity is used as an indirect indicator of inflammation and can also detect the presence of abnormal proteins called paraproteins, which are produced by some types of tumors.
Conditions causing high plasma viscosity
– High plasma viscosity can be caused by various conditions that increase the levels of proteins in the blood, such as:
• Infections, such as bacterial, viral, or fungal infections.
• Inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or temporal arteritis.
• Cancers, such as multiple myeloma, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, or leukemia.
• Genetic disorders, such as cryoglobulinemia or polycythemia vera.
• Medications, such as retinoic acid or Corticosteroids.
Symptoms of high plasma viscosity
– Some of the symptoms of high plasma viscosity are:
• Headaches
• Dizziness.
• Blurred vision or loss of vision.
• Bleeding from the nose, gums, or skin.
• Chest pain or shortness of breath.
• Difficulty swallowing or feeling of food stuck in the throat.
• Seizures.
Risks in high plasma viscosity
– The risks of high plasma viscosity are:
• Reduced blood flow and oxygen delivery to the vital organs, such as the brain, heart, kidneys, and lungs.
• Increased risk of blood clots and thrombosis, which can lead to stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, or deep vein thrombosis.
• Damage to the blood vessels and endothelial cells, which can lead to atherosclerosis and hypertension.
• Impaired immune system and increased susceptibility to infections.
– Plasma viscosity is related to ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate), which is another test that measures inflammation by estimating how fast red blood cells settle at the bottom of a tube.
– Both tests are affected by the levels and types of proteins in the blood. However, plasma viscosity has several advantages over ESR, such as:
• Plasma viscosity is more sensitive and specific than ESR for detecting inflammation and paraproteins
• Plasma viscosity is not influenced by factors that affect ESR, such as age, sex, anemia, or polycythemia.
• Plasma viscosity has a single reference range that is independent of sex and less dependent on age.
• Plasma viscosity results are calibrated to a primary standard and are more reproducible and standardized than ESR results.
• Plasma viscosity can be performed on a sample up to 48 hours old and does not require immediate testing like ESR.
• Plasma viscosity is faster and cheaper to perform than ESR.
Let me hope that you learnt something😊,did you?
