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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.
People with thick sticky blood have a much higher chance of strokes, heart attacks and high blood pressure. These problems may happen when you are still relatively young, say in your forties and fifties. This is a well-known fact and has led to the widespread use of daily aspirin to thin the blood.