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Fibrinogen is an independent marker for thoracic aortic atherosclerosis
C Tribouilloy1, M Peltier, L Colas
1Department of Cardiology, South Hospital, University of Picardie, Amiens, France.
Insights
Elevated fibrinogen levels are linked to thoracic aortic plaque and coronary artery disease (CAD). This study found fibrinogen is an independent predictor for both conditions, correlating with atherosclerosis severity.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Vascular Biology
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Fibrinogen is a known risk factor for coronary events and stroke.
- Limited data exists on the association between fibrinogen and atherosclerotic disease of the thoracic aorta.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between atherosclerotic thoracic aortic plaque and plasma fibrinogen levels.
- To identify independent predictors of thoracic aortic plaque.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving 148 patients with valvular heart disease.
- Multiplane transesophageal echocardiography and coronary angiography were performed.
- Plasma fibrinogen levels and cardiovascular risk factors were assessed.
Main Results:
- Patients with thoracic aortic plaque had significantly higher fibrinogen levels and more cardiovascular risk factors.
- Fibrinogen, age, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking history were independent predictors of thoracic aortic plaque.
- Fibrinogen levels correlated with the severity of both aortic and coronary atherosclerosis.
Conclusions:
- Fibrinogen is an independent marker for thoracic aortic plaque and its severity.
- Fibrinogen is also an independent marker for coronary artery disease (CAD) and its severity.
Abstract:
The fibrinogen level is an independent risk factor for coronary events and stroke, but no detailed data are available concerning fibrinogen and atherosclerotic disease of the thoracic aorta. This prospective study using multiplane transesophageal echocardiography examined the relation between atherosclerotic thoracic aortic plaque and fibrinogen level. One-hundred forty-eight patients (65 +/- 11 years) with valvular heart disease underwent multiplane transesophageal echocardiography and coronary angiography. We measured plasma fibrinogen level for each patient and recorded the following cardiovascular risk factors: age, sex, systemic hypertension, history of smoking, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, body mass index, and family history of coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients with thoracic aortic plaque had a higher level of plasma fibrinogen (p = 0.0001), were older (p = 0.0001), and had significantly more risk factors: history of smoking (p = 0.009), hypertension (p = 0.008), hypercholesterolemia (p = 0.0001), diabetes mellitus (p = 0.01), and family history of CAD (p = 0.003). Multivariate logistic regression analysis of fibrinogen level and risk factors revealed 4 independent predictors of thoracic aortic plaque: fibrinogen, age, hypercholesterolemia, and history of smoking. Fibrinogen was also an independent predictor of CAD. There was a relation between fibrinogen levels and the severity of aortic atherosclerosis (r = 0.46; p = 0.0001) and the severity of CAD (r = 0.30; p = 0.0001). This prospective study indicates that fibrinogen is an independent marker for thoracic aortic plaque related to the severity of thoracic aortic atherosclerosis and confirms that fibrinogen constitutes an independent marker for CAD related to the severity of angiographically evaluated coronary atherosclerosis.