Gender difference in oxygen delivery index: Potential link to development of cardiovascular diseases
Marina V. Kameneva, Mary J. Watach, Harvey S. Borovetz

Oxygen Delivery Index (ODI) is introduced as a ratio of hematocrit to blood viscosity. The ODI can be considered an indirect characterization of oxygen transport to organs and tissues.  ODI was obtained for 98 healthy donors (47 pre-menopausal women and 51 age-matched men). In this population ODI levels were found to be significantly lower (p<0.001) in male blood (7.7±0.3 vs.8.4±0.5 for female blood). Average ODI obtained for 15 cardiac patients (all males) was found to be significantly lower than that for healthy men. In blood samples with the same hematocrit, ODI was found to decrease when plasma viscosity was increased via an increase in protein concentration. Additionally, it was found that ODI measured for samples of blood in a wide hematocrit range, obtained by dilution with autologous plasma, possessed the highest values at the hematocrit levels 30 to 40%. The decreased oxygen transport might contribute to the significantly higher morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases for men compared to pre-menopausal women. ODI may be helpful for evaluation of risk of the development of cardiovascular disorders.

Keywords: blood viscosity, cardiovascular, gender, hematocrit, oxygen delivery, risk factors

Applied Cardiopulmonary Pathophysiology 9: 382-387, 2000

Marina V. Kameneva, M.D.
McGowan Center for Artificial Organ Development
University of Pittsburgh
300 Technology Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
USA
E-mail: kamenevamv@msx.upmc.edu