PLATELET SIZE, FIBRINOGEN AND LIPOPROTEIN(A) IN CORONARY HEART-DISEASE

Background: An increase in mean platelet volume has been reported to b e associated with arterial thrombosis and myocardial infarction. A lar ger mean platelet volume has been regarded as an independent risk fact or for recurrent myocardial infarction. We therefore investigated whet her it is also increased in patients with coronary heart disease exami ned a few days before cardiac surgery. Methods: Four hundred and twent y-six patients with coronary heart disease who were waiting for cardia c surgery and 125 healthy individuals were included in the study. Mean platelet volume and other platelet parameters were obtained from a ro utine blood count procedure using a flow cytometric haematology analys er. Results: Mean platelet volume did not differ significantly between patients and controls; however, as expected from the literature, pati ents had significantly elevated levels of fibrinogen, cholesterol, tri glyceride, apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein(a). Furthermore, we obs erved no significant difference in mean platelet volume between patien ts without myocardial infarction and those who, had survived at least one myocardial infarction. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that, usin g a routine laboratory procedure, mean platelet volume cannot be used as a predictive marker for coronary heart disease or myocardial infarc tion.