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Thick blood is caused by a variety of conditions, such as heavy proteins in the blood, too much blood in circulation or a blood clot system imbalance, according to Southeastern Medical Oncology Center. Diseases such as cancer and lupus can also lead to thick blood. Continue Reading.
A clot that breaks away and travels to the heart or lungs can cause a blockage which can lead to death. The other type of thick blood would be blood that contains too many red cells. It really is thick and the only treatment is to the bleed the patient periodically. The patient will have a unit (pint) of blood drawn every week or so until his blood count is down to normal. The patient should be under the care of a doctor who specializes in hematology (study of blood).