[Elevated levels of plasma von Willebrand factor: a new risk factor for atherosclerosis?]

The authors assessed the plasma level of von Willebrand's factor in a total of 104 patients aged 32-60 years. Of these 10 patients are free from confirmed ischaemic heart disease with no history of acute myocardial infarction and 94 patients after acute myocardial infarction. Samplings for von Willebrand's factor in patients after acute myocardial infarction were made at least two months after the infarction. The patients were subjected to: A) ergometric examination, b) to ergometric and coronarographic examination. The patients after acute myocardial infarction with minimal atherosclerotic changes or without atherosclerotic changes on the coronaries had a normal or slightly elevated plasma level of von Willebrand's factor. With the number of coronary arteries affected with atherosclerosis the plasma level of von Willebrand's factor increased. In patients after infarction with evidence of atherosclerotic changes on the coronary arteries without other risk factors the plasma level of von Willebrand's factor was also high. The results stimulate the hypothesis that high plasma levels of von Willebrand's factor could be a risk factor of atherosclerosis.