First Clinical Data from Rheologics Device for Measuring Blood Viscosity Presented at AHA.

Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers

American Heart Assoc. Conference, Salt Lake City

EXTON, Pa.--(BW HealthWire)--May 1, 2002

Data Captured by Rheologics' Rheolog(TM) Featured in Multiple

Poster Presentations, Including an Independent Clinical Trial

Conducted by the KUMC 

Rheologics, Inc., a pioneer in the prevention and treatment of heart disease and stroke, today announced that data derived from blood viscosity tests conducted with its Rheolog(TM) scanning capillary viscometer was presented in three study posters at the 3rd Annual Conference on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology hosted by the American Heart Association (Salt Lake City, Utah, April 4-6). Poster presenters discussed the blood viscosity data collected with the Rheolog that clearly illustrates a difference in viscosity between men and women, and hypothesized that blood donation can positively affect blood viscosity levels -- a possible boon for donor efforts. Presenters also discussed preliminary data that indicates blood viscosity levels correlate to various disease stages.

In the poster presentation "A Novel Instrument for Measurement of Blood Viscosity and Shear Stress," Rheologics' Bill Hogenauer, vice president of technical development, detailed the company's proprietary approach to deriving unadulterated whole blood viscosity measurements at the patient point-of-care using the Rheolog. The study compared two device types: the Rheolog as a scanning capillary tube viscometer (SCTV) and the more commonly-used rotating cone-and-plate viscometer. The clinical utility of the SCTV was evident in that it measured unadulterated blood samples -- unlike other viscometers that require the addition of anticoagulants to the test samples - and it delivered near-immediate analysis of viscosity along a broad range of shear rates, including very low shear rates.

Patrick Moriarty, M.D., director of the Lipid, Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Clinic at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC), presented the results of the first independent clinical study employing the Rheolog. In the poster presentation "Measuring Unadulterated Whole Blood Viscosity in Patients with Familial Hypercholesterolemia on Long-term LDL Apheresis," data showed that blood viscosity is elevated in patients with high cholesterol levels and that lowering cholesterol is associated with lowering whole blood viscosity.

"Elevated blood viscosity has been shown to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Moriarty. "The Rheolog was a key component to complement LDL-Apheresis - the lower blood viscosity levels parallel reduced cholesterol counts.

"The device is easy to use and enables researchers to draw conclusions in a timely matter. It will play an instrumental role in an upcoming study where lipid counts will be examined in association with acute coronary syndrome patients," he added, referring to a larger follow-up study to aggressively lower the cholesterol and blood viscosity levels with LDL-Apheresis in acute coronary syndrome patients. The study is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2002.

Viscosity data derived from the Rheolog was also included in a poster presented by Anders Boss, M.D. and vice president of pharmaceuticals at Rheologics. In "Measuring Blood Viscosity: A Key Factor in Shear Stress and Arteriosclerosis," Boss discussed the results of a non-scientific sample study conducted with 58 participants at the AHA Scientific Sessions held in Anaheim, Calif., in November 2001. In this study, the data showed that women averaged a lower blood viscosity reading (p less than 0.00009) than men. Additionally, individuals who gave blood repeatedly over a five-week period experienced a progressive drop in blood viscosity.

"The data derived from our Rheolog and presented at this year's ATVB Conference is evidence of the growing acceptance of blood viscosity as an additional potential risk parameter of cardiovascular disease," said Kenneth R. Kensey, M.D., Rheologics' founder and CEO. "Only blood viscosity is able to explain the very localized nature of early atherosclerosis and, as such, may in fact become a critical element of tomorrow's healthcare efforts to predict and develop interventions for cardiovascular disease."

About Rheologics, Inc.

Since 1997, Rheologics has pioneered a new standard of care in the prevention and treatment of heart disease and stroke. Rheologics' mission is to supplement the existing understanding of the risk factors for these diseases by focusing on the emerging field of hemorheology -- the study of the dynamics of blood flow and its impact on vascular-related diseases. The company's breakthrough product, the Rheolog(TM)(1), is the industry's first easy-to-use device for measuring the biophysical properties of unadulterated, circulating whole blood. With the acquisition of Cytometrics Inc. in 2001, Rheologics can offer non-invasive cell imaging technology through the CYTOSCAN(TM), allowing physicians to better monitor post-surgical disease states. Both devices are used at the patient point-of-care and will aid in the development of new therapies and diagnostic capabilities for a variety of disease states. The company is headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania. For more information, please call 800/969-2585 or visit the company web site at www.rheologics.com.

(1) The Rheolog is an IDE exempt device and is not approved by the FDA for therapeutic and diagnostic use. The device is currently used by leading institutions for research purposes.