THROMBOPHILIA IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

To investigate a possible interrelationship between hypercholesterolem ia and the coagulation and fibrinolytic system, the Cardiovascular Dis ease Risk Factor Two-Township Study in Taiwan was undertaken as a long itudinal prospective study focusing on the evolution of cardiovascular disease risk factors, with an emphasis on hemostatic factors. Hemosta tic parameters measured in this study included prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen, factor VIIc, factor VIIIc, antithrombin III, and plasminogen. Subjects of both sex es with hypercholesterolemia (> 6.2 mmol/L) also had significant eleva tions of diastolic blood pressure, plasma glucose, triglycerides, fibr inogen, and factor VIIc and reduced PT and APTT compared with subjects with lower cholesterol. The hypercholesterolemic women additionally h ad significant elevations of systolic blood pressure and factor VIIIc. Levels of the anticoagulant factors, antithrombin III and plasminogen , were also higher in both hypercholesterolemic men and women. In men, only factor VIIIc had no statistically significant elevation. in wome n, only PT showed no statistical difference. Established coronary risk factors such as fibrinogen and factor Vile showed remarkable elevatio ns in patients of both sexes. Using Pearson correlation and multiple r egression, the most significant parameter related to cholesterol level was factor VIIc. The present results show that hemostatic abnormaliti es do exist in patients with hypercholesterolemia, and this thrombophi lic phenomenon sheds further light on the study of higher cardiovascul ar mortality in these subjects. Copyright (C) 1996 by W.B. Saunders Co mpany