The relationship between body weight and plasma viscosity in hypertensive diabetic Nigerians.

Plasma viscosity and fibrinogen concentrations were measured in 70 diabetics (35 hypertensive and 35 normotensive) and compared with those of 35 age- and sex-matched normotensive healthy subjects in relation to body weight. The body weight, body mass index, blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), mean arterial pressure, plasma viscosity and fibrinogen level of the hypertensive diabetics were significantly higher than the values seen in the controls. Among the normotensive diabetics, only the fibrinogen concentration was elevated above that of the controls (P less than 0.01). Body weight, body mass index, blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), mean arterial pressure and plasma viscosity were all significantly higher in the hypertensive diabetics than in their normotensive counterparts. The difference in fibrinogen titre of both groups of diabetics was not significant. Body mass index, fibrinogen and plasma viscosity were correlated significantly with systolic and diastolic blood pressures (P less than 0.001). The order of relative contribution showed that fibrinogen contributed most to blood pressure, followed by plasma viscosity and then body mass index. The results suggest that high levels of body weight, fibrinogen concentration and plasma viscosity could contribute to the development of hypertension in diabetic Nigerians.