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Plasma fibrinogen and coronary risk factors: the Scottish Heart Health Study
1Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Ninewells Hospital & Medical School, Dundee, Scotland.
Insights
Plasma fibrinogen levels, a key cardiovascular risk factor, are higher in women. Factors like age, smoking, and cholesterol increase fibrinogen, while alcohol decreases it, impacting heart disease risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Biochemistry
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Plasma fibrinogen is a crucial protein in blood coagulation and a recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Understanding the determinants of fibrinogen levels is essential for identifying individuals at higher risk of heart disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations between plasma fibrinogen levels and various cardiovascular risk factors in a large population sample.
- To explore potential sex differences in these associations.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of 8824 men and women aged 40-59 years from the Scottish Heart Health Study.
- Multivariate regression analysis to assess relationships between plasma fibrinogen and risk factors including age, smoking, cholesterol, BMI, alcohol, and other lifestyle and demographic variables.
Main Results:
- Women exhibited higher plasma fibrinogen levels than men.
- Positive associations were observed between fibrinogen and age, smoking, total cholesterol, and body mass index in both sexes.
- Negative association was found with alcohol consumption. Early menopause and systolic blood pressure were associated with fibrinogen in women.
- Contraceptive pill usage was linked to lower fibrinogen in women.
Conclusions:
- Raised plasma fibrinogen is supported as a mechanism linking major risk factors to coronary heart disease.
- Known risk factors accounted for less than 10% of the total variance in fibrinogen levels, suggesting other unmeasured factors are involved.
Abstract:
Plasma fibrinogen was measured in a sample of 8824 men and women aged 40-59 years participating in the Scottish Heart Health Study, and related to cardiovascular risk factors. Women had higher fibrinogen levels than men. In both sexes, multivariate analysis showed that fibrinogen was positively associated with age, smoking, total cholesterol and body mass index and negatively associated with alcohol consumption. Among women, early menopause and systolic blood pressure were also associated with fibrinogen levels. Univariate analyses showed weak positive associations with fish consumption for both sexes although only male white fish consumption entered the final model. Women with a history of contraceptive pill usage had significantly lower fibrinogen levels. The relationship between fibrinogen and physical activity was complex, and could largely be explained by smoking. These findings support the hypothesis that raised fibrinogen is one mechanism by which several major risk factors may promote coronary heart disease. However, known risk factors explained, at most, 10% of the total variance in fibrinogen levels among the general population.
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