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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.
Polycythemia vera (POL-e-si-THEE-me-ah VAY-rah or VE-rah), or PV, is a rare blood disease in which your body makes too many red blood cells. 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.t also can make too many white blood cells and platelets. A mutation, or change, in the body's JAK2 gene is the major cause of PV. This gene makes a protein that helps the body produce blood cells. What causes the change in the JAK2 gene isn't known.