Plasma Viscosity

[Jontie]

Does anyone know much about PV? Since being diagnosed with PMR 4.5 years ago, mine has always been high, hovering around the 2.0 mark, irrespective of pred dose and CRP level. The GP has always said this is "normal for me". However, recently I've made the mistake of reading a bit more about PV and I note it is also associated with various cancers, and is even a risk factor for COVID complications. I think I am becoming a bit of a hypochondriac and seem to be experiencing "health anxiety" far ore than in the past. Can anyone put me at my ease a little please?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It really isn't used a lot - not that many hospitals have it in their repetoire. It is used a fair bit in Scotland I think. I think the trouble is that all the literature is based on ESR so there isn't that much background information. How high is it?

[Jontie in reply to PMRpro]

PV: the normal range for adults is 1.50-1.72 mPA. Mine is about 2.0 which doesn't sound much aboove 1.72, but apparently it is quite high. I didn't know that it was rarely used. I'm not sure why is I've read it is more useful than ESR?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Jontie]

Depends doesn't it? If it isn't available - it isn't more useful!

[Blearyeyed]

At the moment its a bit if a red herring. Studies are being conducted into using results of PV more often for monitoring certain conditions and infections.As you say , its become more of an interest because it appears to be able to help fine tune the assessment of infections like Covid.

It is being researched to be used as a more efficient test than ESR in the future but it isn't being used like that at the moment , most doctors aren't trained in using it for assessment so , as yet , it is not that helpful.

[Jontie in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thanks. Yes, there's plenty of info online about its utility. I'm surprised GPs are so slow to take it on board. That probably explains why my gp never pays much attention to it.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Jontie]

Yes, well it has been voiced as a more reliable test choice for things like RA etc for decades but never seems to have gotten its legs. Until , it does , and clinicians are retrained to use it it isn't much help for us as patients in speculating on our PV results , nobody will know what we are talking about .There also aren't any consistent tables of information around to help us try to understand what it could tell us about our progress.

[LBM1953]

Two GPs in my surgery think that PV is a better indicator of inflammation than CRP. Dunno if this is correct or not.

[mgrogers99]

Here is an objective article. patient.info/treatment-medi...

[Jontie in reply to mgrogers99]

Thank you