Objectives: To determine the relationship between lifestyle and hemorheology among young people, a study was conducted among healthy university students. Because few investigations have been reported on the relationship between lifestyle factors and hemorheology by gender in young people, we analyzed the effects of lifestyle on hemorheology by administering an assessment questionnaire and by measuring whole blood passage time using MC-FAN (Micro Channel array Flow ANalyzer) and hematological and blood biochemical variables for female and male university students.
Methods: The study was conducted with 40 healthy nonathlete subjects (20 females aged 19.9±1.3 years and 20 healthy males aged 20.6±1.4 years) who volunteered to participate in the study. The smoking, alcohol drinking, eating, and other habits of the subjects were investigated using a questionnaire. Blood was obtained to determine whole blood passage time and hematological and blood biochemical variables.
Results: The mean value of whole blood passage time was significantly shorter in females (43.4±5.2sec/100μl) than in males (58.2±13.6sec/100μl). The mean values of RBC, Hb, Ht, MCHC, Alb, TG, Cr, UA, K, Ca, Fe, AST and ALT were significantly lower in females than in males, and the mean value of HDL-C was significantly higher in females than in males. In females, Spearman's correlation coefficient showed a positive correlation between whole blood passage time and RBC, and a negative correlation between whole blood passage time and TG. It also showed a positive correlation between whole blood passage time and Plt, and a negative correlation between whole blood passage time and Alb in males. Among the lifestyle factors, the mean value of whole blood passage time in females who consumed salt lightly was significantly longer than that in females who consumed salt moderately. The mean value of whole blood passage time in males who liked sweets was significantly longer than that in males who were neutral to sweets.
Conclusions: The present study showed that whole blood passage time is shorter in females than in males for young people. This conforms to the pattern shown in previous studies which investigated blood passage time among the elderly and people in their prime of life. It is conceivable that females have a higher fluidity than males in all age brackets. Regarding the effects of lifestyle on hemorheology, the present study suggests that several lifestyle factors are related to whole blood passage time and their effects differ according to gender.
