Fibrinogen as a risk factor for coronary heart disease

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G Montalescot1, J P Collet, R Choussat

  • 1Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Saltpétrire, Paris, France.

European Heart Journal
|August 26, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Elevated plasma fibrinogen is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke. This modifiable risk factor predicts events in healthy individuals and those with existing heart conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Elevated plasma fibrinogen is linked to increased coronary heart disease and stroke.
  • Fibrinogen is recognized alongside traditional risk factors like smoking and age.
  • This paper focuses on fibrinogen as an independent and modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factor.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss fibrinogen as an independent and modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
  • To explore the mechanisms by which elevated fibrinogen contributes to cardiovascular events.
  • To highlight the predictive value of plasma fibrinogen levels.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on plasma fibrinogen and cardiovascular events.
  • Analysis of pathways linking fibrinogen to atherosclerosis and thrombosis.
  • Comparison of fibrinogen's predictive power with other established risk factors.

Main Results:

  • Elevated plasma fibrinogen is a strong primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease in healthy individuals.
  • It predicts death or recurrent myocardial ischemia in patients with prior coronary events.
  • Fibrinogen is also a predictor of accelerated coronary atherosclerosis.

Conclusions:

  • Plasma fibrinogen is a significant, independent, and modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
  • Mechanisms include vessel wall infiltration, increased blood viscosity, platelet aggregation, and thrombus formation.
  • The predictive association of plasma fibrinogen with cardiovascular events is comparable to that of elevated cholesterol.

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