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The extra red blood cells make your blood thicker than normal. As a result, blood clots can form more easily. These clots can block blood flow through your arteries and veins, which can cause a heart attack or stroke. Thicker blood also doesn't flow as quickly to your body as normal blood.
I certainly believe dehydration as a cause of the thickening of the blood is one of the contributing factors (to DVT), noted Dr. Bo Eklof, clinical professor of surgery at the University of Hawaii, who recently attended a World Health Organization conference in Geneva on the issue.