FIBRINOGEN AND FIBRINOLYTIC VARIABLES IN RELATION TO ANTHROPOMETRY, LIPIDS AND BLOOD-PRESSURE - THE NORTHERN SWEDEN MONICA STUDY

Fibrinolysis is dependent upon plasminogen activator (tPA) activity wh ile high fibrinogen levels increase the risk of thromboembolic events. From a cross-sectional population sample of 1558 men and women aged 2 5 to 64 years, plasma fibrinogen, tPA activity and plasminogen activat or inhibitor-1 (PAI) activity were determined using specific assays. A ssociations with body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), serum l ipids and blood pressure were calculated with uni- and multivariate mo dels where age and smoking were also introduced. In men age, truncal o besity, short height and low HDL cholesterol independently predicted f ibrinogen (R(2) 0.20) while in women obesity per se, total cholesterol , systolic blood pressure, smoking and age were predictors (R(2) 0.29) . tPA activity was negatively associated with BMI and serum triglyceri de levels and positively with age in both sexes. In men diastolic bloo d pressure (R(2) 0.22) and in women WHR further independently predicte d low fibrinolytic activity. HDL was associated with greater fibrinoly sis in women (R(2) 0.15). Relationships with PAI-1 activity were essen tially the reverse of tPA but stronger. Prospective interventional stu dies are needed to answer the question of causality.