Diet and hemostatic factors

The coagulation, fibrinolytic, and platelet activating systems are complex and interact extensively, and with other systems such as inflammation. Key reactions often require biomembranes, suggesting that dietary lipids, to the extent that they influence membrane composition, may have important regulatory roles. Also, recent evidence suggests that both postprandial and fasting lipoproteins may be associated with either factor levels or activation state or both. This issue has added importance because several hemostatic and fibrinolytic factors are known CVD risk factors. Although there are associations between fasting lipid levels and several coagulation and fibrinolytic factors, the mechanisms are unclear, as are the implications for intervention. In general, postprandial lipids are at least somewhat procoagulant because they activate factor VII. It remains to be demonstrated, however, that this postprandial activation has important clinical correlates. Dietary supplementation with marine omega-3 fatty acids does prolong the bleeding time and may decrease thrombotic potential; however, other than this, little is known about the direct effects of dietary fatty acids on hemostatic and fibrinolytic activities. Much work is needed in carefully controlled studies to expand our knowledge in this important area.