Aim: To investigate the relationship of high hematocrit with changes of the blood viscosity during in the environment of altitude hypoxia.
Methods: Index of hemorheology was determined from populations with different time of inhabit highland and normal controls.
Results: (1) Hematocrit and RBC deformability were higher in all highland populations than that in normal controls, these increase were time-dependent. (2) The blood viscosity was increased significantly during the early stage of inhabit highland, and restored normal in late stage. (3) RBC aggregability was reduced significantly with time-dependent in highland populations. (4) The oxygen content of tissue was reduced significantly during the early stage of inhabit highland, and restored normal in late stage.
Conclusions: In the environment of altitude hypoxia, RBC deformability increase and RBC aggregability decrease can suppress blood viscosity increase induced by erythrocytosis, these compensatory regulation is help to maintain the normal oxygen content of tissue.