[Beneficial effects of statins and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors on aggregability of red blood cells in hypertensive patients].

This study was designed to investigate changes in aggregability of red blood cells of patients with essential hypertension and concomitant hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol level > 5.0 mmol/l) following the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I) along with or without inhibitor of reductase HMG-CoA (statin). Under standard pharmacotherapy (beta-receptor anatgonist, calcium chanel antagonist, and diuretic) aggregability of RBC in hypertensive patients was significantly increased in spite of the treatment. However, in patients receiving additionally ACE-I spontaneous aggregation of RBC was attenuated. We found that antihypertensive therapy consisting of ACE-I along with statin improved erythrocyte aggregation nearly to the level of normotensive and normocholesterolemic patients. Interestingly, this improvement of blood rheology was observed prior to statin-induced lowering of total cholesterol.