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Dietary fatty acids and blood coagulation
1MRC Epidemiology and Medical Care Unit, St Bartholomew and Royal London School of Medicine, UK.
Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids
|January 16, 1998
Summary
Dietary fat intake influences blood clotting, increasing Factor VII coagulant activity (VIIc), a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). Reducing fat intake lowers VIIc, while fatty meals acutely raise it.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Nutritional Science
- Hematology
Background:
- Factor VII coagulant activity (VIIc) is a recognized risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD).
- Plasma VIIc levels demonstrate a positive correlation with dietary fat intake, suggesting a link between high-fat diets and a hypercoagulable state.
- Dietary fat appears to influence both the atherosclerotic and thrombogenic pathways implicated in CHD pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between dietary fat intake and Factor VII coagulant activity (VIIc) and antigen (VIIag) levels.
- To examine the acute effects of fatty meals on VIIc, particularly in individuals consuming diets rich in long-chain saturated fatty acids.
- To explore the dose-response characteristics and duration of postprandial VIIc changes following fatty meal consumption.
Main Methods:
- Observational studies correlating dietary fat intake with plasma VIIc and VIIag concentrations.
- Intervention studies involving reduction in total fat consumption and monitoring subsequent changes in VIIc.
- Analysis of postprandial VIIc responses after fatty meals in adults consuming diets high in saturated fatty acids, assessing dose-response and temporal effects.
Main Results:
- A reduction in total fat consumption led to a decrease in VIIc within 24 hours.
- In adults on high saturated fatty acid diets, a postprandial increase in VIIc was observed after fatty meals, independent of specific fat composition.
- This postprandial increase in VIIc exhibited dose-response characteristics, persisted for several hours, and was attributed to factor VII activation.
- No acute effect of dietary fat on factor VII antigen (VIIag) concentration was found, though VIIag showed a positive relationship with overall dietary fat intake.
Conclusions:
- Dietary fat intake significantly influences Factor VII coagulant activity, contributing to a hypercoagulable state relevant to coronary heart disease.
- Acute fatty meal consumption triggers a transient increase in VIIc, highlighting the dynamic interplay between diet and coagulation.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the specific effects of dietary fat composition on both fasting and postprandial factor VII levels and their implications for CHD.