FACTOR-VII, ANTITHROMBIN-III, LEUKOCYTE AND PLATELET COUNTS IN A SAMPLE OF BLACK-AND-WHITE ZIMBABWEAN BLOOD-DONORS

Studies in Southern Africa have shown that whites have significantly g reater morbidity and mortality from coronary heart disease than blacks . This study investigated the distribution of some haemostatic variabl es known or suspected to be correlated with greater risk for coronary heart disease in healthy black and white Zimbabwean men. Factor VII, a ntithrombin III, leukocyte and platelet counts were measured in 56 bla cks and 29 whites aged between 20 and 50 years. We found significantly greater factor VII and leukocyte counts in the whites compared to the blacks. The other variables measured were similar in the two ethnic g roups. These results suggest that the greater prevalence of coronary h eart disease in whites is consistent with high levels of factor VII an d white blood cell counts previously identified as risk factors for th is condition.