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A case-reference study on plasma fibrinogen concentrations and coronary atherosclerosis in Japanese
1Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Japan.
Insights
Elevated plasma fibrinogen levels are linked to coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction risk in Japanese individuals. This finding suggests fibrinogen is a significant cardiovascular risk factor across different populations.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Biochemistry
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Coronary atherosclerosis is a leading cause of myocardial infarction.
- Plasma fibrinogen is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease in Western populations.
- Investigating fibrinogen's role in Japanese populations is crucial due to potential ethnic differences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the association between plasma fibrinogen concentrations and coronary atherosclerosis in a Japanese cohort.
- To evaluate plasma fibrinogen as a potential risk factor for myocardial infarction in Japanese men and women.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 169 myocardial infarction cases and matched controls was conducted between 1991 and 1993.
- Plasma fibrinogen levels were measured and compared between cases and controls.
- Statistical analyses adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors including smoking, hypertension, and cholesterol levels.
Main Results:
- Mean plasma fibrinogen concentrations were significantly higher in myocardial infarction cases compared to controls for both men and women.
- A positive correlation was observed between increasing plasma fibrinogen levels and the number of stenotic coronary vessels.
- The association remained significant after adjusting for major cardiovascular risk factors.
Conclusions:
- Plasma fibrinogen is a significant risk factor for coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction in the Japanese population.
- Despite potentially lower baseline levels compared to Caucasians, fibrinogen's atherogenic role is confirmed in Japanese individuals.
- These findings underscore the importance of monitoring plasma fibrinogen levels for cardiovascular risk assessment in diverse ethnic groups.
Abstract:
To examine contribution of plasma fibrinogen concentrations to coronary atherosclerosis in Japanese, a cross-sectional study was conducted from 1991 to 1993 for 169 myocardial infarction cases and 1 : 1 matched references. All cases had one to three coronary vessels with 50 percent or more stenosis. References were chosen out of Osaka residents who had no cardiac event by matching sex and age ((+)-3 years) with cases. Mean (SD) values of plasma fibrinogen concentration were 322 (81) mg/dl in men and 377 (77) mg/dl in women for cases, and were 282 (56) mg/dl in men and 277 (48) mg/dl in women for references; mean plasma fibrinogen was significantly higher in cases than in references for both men and women. Furthermore, mean plasma fibrinogen was progressively higher as the number of stenotic vessels increased for men, and similar trend was seen for women. The case-reference difference remained significant even after adjusting smoking status, hypertension, serum total cholesterol, serum HDL cholesterol. Although plasma fibrinogen concentration was reported lower in Japanese than in American Caucasians, plasma fibrinogen is suggested to be a risk factor for myocardial infarction among Japanese as so among Caucasians.