Blood thicker in winter

[Karlynn]

This is confusing. We know that some people report feeling colder while taking Coumadin. Years ago, before my replacement, I knew someone who had already had VR and she said "I'm always colder because my blood is thinner due to Coumadin." We know that this is not true. While feelings of coldness may be a side-effect of warfarin, we know that it is not due to the blood being "thinner" because the drug does not change the thickness (viscosity) of the blood.

So if we bought into the myth that "thin" blood makes someone cold, if their blood gets "thicker" in winter, wouldn't that mean that they would feel warmer?

The problem with physical winter activities for those who aren't in shape is that the heart already works harder to keep the body warm when it's cold, so adding a strenuous physical exercise on top of that causes even more strain on the heart.

I agree with Cooker - unless you're suffering from over exposure your internal temp is going to be pretty much normal, so the blood shouldn't flow any differently. It's the heart that has to work harder to pump the blood to keep the body warm.

 

[Ross]

Gee Marty , something tells me that we would not be
well-suited romantically

I really don't think Marty meant for it to be a joke, but you know us guys, we'll turn it into one.

 

[deano89]

i was told by path lab that the drugs dont thin the blood what they do do is stop it clotting so if that be the case then blood wouldnt thicken either just more likey to clot possibly

 

[Ross]

i was told by path lab that the drugs dont thin the blood what they do do is stop it clotting so if that be the case then blood wouldnt thicken either just more likey to clot possibly

That is why I said it's splitting hairs over the term "viscosity". The only way on earth anyone could see a difference is under a microscope, but as far as Coumadin goes, it means nothing.

 

[lance]

Cardio not a total dingbat ...................

Cardio not a total dingbat ...................

I believe the body undergoes "changes" with weather conditions naturally/normally more to do with evolutionary factors than blood viscosity/thinner/thicker. Maybe it's the speed the blood flows through our bodies--faster in summer to cool us or slower in the winter to prevent heat loss. Warfarin prevents that change from occurring.

Humanity began in the warm Mediterranean/African environment. As humanity evolved and moved to colder locations something took place naturally to help it cope with their changed environment. Survival of the fittest. Hair coat didn't respond, northerners are not hairier than Mediterraneans or Africans. So something took place along the evolutionary trail. They adapted and survived.

 

[ChouDoufu]

i kinda thought hair did respond to a certain extent. seems to be more chest
hair on europeans than on africans (except for that one girl i dated in college, but
that's a story for another day). not much on asians, very little on chinese until you
get into the tibetans and mongolians. wondering if chest hair patterns correspond
with ice age glaciation? but could just be a statistical coincidence, like chest hair
versus the number of gold medals won by communist womens swimming teams.

 

[Bina]

Oh man......could I ever use some chest hair! I freeze immediately.
I believe that cold weather speeds up your HR to help warm the body parts and extremeties.