Low high density lipoprotein levels are associated with an elevated blood viscosity

Low levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) have been inversely correlated with blood viscosity and plasma viscosity; however, the contribution of concomitant hypertriglyceridemia may confound this association. This study evaluated the relationship between blood viscosity and HDL cholesterol in 70 subjects with fasting levels of total cholesterol <5.2 mmol/l (200 mg/dl) and triglycerides<2.3 mmol/l (200 mg/dl). Viscosity (mPa•s) was measured at 37°C with a coaxial cylinder microviscometer. HDL cholesterol was inversely associated with corrected blood viscosity at 100 s−1 (β=−0.49, P<0.00005) and 20 s−1 (β=−0.38, P=0.001) but not at 1 s−1 (β=−0.05, P=0.69) using stepwise multivariate analyses. Low HDL levels are associated with an elevated blood viscosity, and this rheological abnormality may contribute to cardiovascular risk in subjects with isolated low HDL levels.