Final answer:
Conditions associated with elevated plasma viscosity include dehydration and polycythemia. Dehydration reduces plasma volume, increasing hematocrit and viscosity, while polycythemia increases erythrocyte count, leading to higher plasma viscosity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Elevated plasma viscosity can be associated with various conditions affecting the factors determining blood viscosity, such as the number of erythrocytes and the level of plasma proteins. Conditions that can lead to elevated plasma viscosity include dehydration and polycythemia. Dehydration can cause the plasma volume to fall and consequently elevate hematocrit levels, leading to increased plasma viscosity. Polycythemia, whether due to living at high altitudes, certain bone marrow diseases like polycythemia vera, or transient states of dehydration, leads to an increased count of erythrocytes, which raises plasma viscosity.
In contrast, conditions such as anemia, characterized by a reduced number of erythrocytes, or hypoalbuminemia resulting from liver abnormalities, tend to decrease blood viscosity because of a lower concentration of formed elements or plasma proteins, respectively.