Home / Archive / Vol. 37 No. 4 (2025): 37-4 / ORIGINAL
SEVERITY OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IN THE PATIENT WITH VARYING HEMATOCRIT LEVELS
Waqas Ahmed
Fellow Interventional Cardiology, Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and National Institute of Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Rizwan Ali
Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, National Institute of Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Saqab Saboor
Frontier Medical and Dental College, Abbottabad, Pakistan
Zeeshan Ahmad
Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, National Institute of Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Muhammad Bilal
Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, National Institute of Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Bakht Umar Khan (Corresponding Author)
Fellow Interventional Cardiology, Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and National Institute of Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Keywords:
Coronary artery disease, Hematocrit, Gensini score, Blood viscosity, Cardiovascular risk, Multivessel disease.
Abstract
Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a significant source of global morbidity and mortality. Hematocrit (Hct) level, a key measure of blood viscosity and oxygen-carrying capacity, influences coronary perfusion and plaque formation. Elevated hematocrit levels increase blood viscosity and shear stress, facilitating endothelial dysfunction and atherogenesis, whereas low hematocrit levels diminish oxygen supply to myocardial tissue.
Objective: To compare the extent of coronary artery disease in patients with varying hematocrit levels and evaluate if hematocrit can serve as a predictive factor for CAD severity among patients undergoing coronary angiography.
Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was carried out at AFIC/NIHD between February 2024 and October 2024. One hundred and thirty patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography for suspected ischemic heart disease were categorized by hematocrit level: low (<38%), normal (38–48%), and high (>48%). CAD severity was assessed via the Gensini scoring system based on angiographic findings. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0.
Results: Hematocrit levels were significantly related to CAD severity ($p = 0.05$). Patients with higher hematocrit levels (>48%) exhibited higher CAD severity with a mean Gensini score of $45.3 \pm 12.6$ compared to those with normal ($30.8 \pm 10.2$) and low hematocrit ($21.6 \pm 8.4$). A positive correlation was identified between hematocrit levels and Gensini scores ($r = 0.61$, $p = 0.001$). Higher hematocrit levels also correlated with a greater incidence of severe CAD (57.1%).
Conclusion: A significant relationship exists between high hematocrit levels and increased severity of coronary artery disease. Hematocrit can serve as an accessible, economical hematological parameter to assist in risk stratification and early detection of severe CAD.
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Published
2025-10-04
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