[Blood viscosity and the pressure limit of whole blood in patients with a vascular form of vibration disease].

Eighty-two men suffering from the vascular form to the vibration disease have been divided into two groups pursuant to advancement of the disease: group I consisting of 42 persons (average age 40 +/- 7.5 years) representing an early stage of the disease, and group II consisting of 40 persons (average age 49,7 +/- 5,6 years)--at an advanced stage of the disease. In both groups the variation of apparent viscosity with shear rate (rheological equations), plastic viscosity and yield stress of the whole blood have been determined. The control group consisted of 100 healthy men (average age 41.3 +/- 8.4 years), classified as medium-hard working (group III). Those afflicted with the vascular form of the vibration disease have been found to exhibit viscosity and yield stress of the whole blood, the increase varying with advancement of the disease.