VISCERAL FAT ACCUMULATION AND ITS RELATION TO PLASMA HEMOSTATIC FACTORS IN HEALTHY-MEN

The associations between abdominal visceral fat and the plasma hemosta tic system were examined in 38-year-old healthy men (n=52) with a wide range of fatness and fat distribution. Plasma hemostatic factors and metabolic parameters, including glucose tolerance, were measured, and body fatness and adipose tissue distribution were assessed by using co mputed tomography. The men with more visceral fat (ie, higher than the median value [n=26]) had a less favorable metabolic profile than the men with less visceral fat (n=26). They also had significantly (P<.05) higher plasma fibrinogen, factor VIII clotting activity, tissue-type plasminogen activator antigen, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 ( PAI-1) activity (19.2+/-2.4 versus 8.5+/-1.6 AU/mL, P<.001) and lower basal tissue-type plasminogen activator activity. After adjustment for plasma insulin, the mel with lar er abdominal visceral fat area still had significantly higher plasma PAI-1 activity, but no difference was found in any of the other hemostatic factors. In multiple linear regr ession analysis, abdominal visceral fat area was a positive predictor of plasma PAI-1 activity, but it failed to show any significant associ ation with other hemostatic factors after controlling for plasma insul in. These results suggest the presence of relationships between abdomi nal visceral fat and several plasma hemostatic factors that are largel y mediated by concomitant alterations in plasma insulin concentration. In addition, our results suggest that abdominal accumulation of visce ral fat is an independent predictor of plasma PAI-1 activity.