Blood viscosity is the only biological parameter that has been correlated with all of the major cardiovascular risk factors including male gender, age, smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and LDL cholesterol. It is inversely correlated with HDL cholesterol. However, blood viscosity is a statistically independent — and in certain ways, much stronger — biomarker for cardiovascular disease. Blood viscosity predicts heart attacks, strokes and mortality from heart disease independent of these other risk factors.