HEMOSTATIC RISK-FACTORS OF CORONARY-ARTERY DISEASE IN THE CHINESE

In order to find out the hemostatic risk factors of coronary artery di sease in the Chinese, antithrombin III concentration, factor VII and f ibrinogen assays, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen and platel et count were determined in 51 healthy controls (mean age 63.5 years, S.D. 10.3), 55 diabetics (mean age 66.0 years, S.D. 4.8) and 56 patien ts with arteriographically proved coronary artery disease (mean age 63 .8 years, S.D. 8.7). Of the coronary artery disease group, 19 had sing le vessel disease, 21 had double vessel disease and 16 had triple vess el disease. Sixteen of this group also had a past history of myocardia l infarction. There was no significant difference of the hemostasis pa rameters between diabetics and controls, Fibrinogen and factor VII, bu t not plasminogen activator inhibitor, were significantly higher in co ronary artery disease patients than in controls (P = 0.0001, both) and in diabetics (P = 0.0001, both). No significant difference in the par ameters was found in the coronary artery disease group, whether the pa tients had single vessel disease, double vessel disease, or triple ves sel disease, or were with or without past myocardial infarction. In th e myocardial infarction group, fibrinogen and factor VII were signific antly higher than in the controls (P < 0.00005 and 0.0001, respectivel y) and in the diabetics (P = 0.0002 and 0.0004, respectively). We sugg est that increased levels of fibrinogen and factor VII, but not plasmi nogen activator inhibitor, would be the hemostatic risk factors of cor onary artery disease in the Chinese.