Hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, R.B.C. count in acute mental stress

ABSTRACT

To study the haematologial effects of acute mental stress, blood samples were obtained from 91 healthy, normotensive, non-smoking first year male medical students aged 20-28 years before and during mental stress period. There was found significant change [p<0.001] in erthrocyte counts [mean +/- SEM 4.98 +/- 0.5 vs 4.81 +/- 0.03 [10x12L] [p<0.001] and haematocrit was observed [mean +/- SEM 45.3 +/- 0.5 vs 42.3 +/- 0.1% [p<0.001]. It is concluded that studied haematological variable might be of value as a measure of physiological stress. Haematocrit elevation resulting from mental stress my be clinically relevant and should he taken into consideration stress marker, at least, in hypertensive patients who are at risk of occlusive vascular diseases, since this study does not enroll any hypertensive subjects, however, future studies are needed to see any association, if there is any