Effects of diets enriched in lauric, palmitic or oleic acids on blood coagulation and fibrinolysis

In this study we compared the effects of specific saturated fatty acids (la uric acid and palmitic acid) with those of a monounsaturated fatty acid (ol eic acid) on coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters in healthy women and m en. Eighteen women and fourteen men consumed, in random order, three experi mental diets, each for six weeks. The diets consisted of solid foods and ap proximately 70% [28 percent of energy (En%)] of the fat calories was suppli ed. As determined from duplicate portions, in the lauric acid diet 7.3 En% and in the palmitic acid diet 6.1 En% of oleic acid were exchanged for laur ic or palmitic acid, respectively. The lauric acid diet also contained some (average 1.8 En%) more myristic acid. Compared with the oleic acid diet, factor VIIam in the female subjects was 9% higher with the lauric acid diet (P = 0.0036; 95% CI, 3 to 14%) and 10% higher with the palmitic acid diet (P = 0.0011; 95% CI, 5 to 16%). Changes in men were not significant. Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor (PAI-I) activity was higher on the palmitic acid compared with the oleic acid diet (difference between diets of 2.3 U/ ml; P = 0.0098; 95% CI, 0.4 to 4.3 U/ml) and the lauric acid diet (differen ce between diets of 2.2 U/ml; P = 0.0123; 95% CI, 0.2 to 4.1 U/ml). No significant differences between diets were observed for antithrombin III activity, fibrinogen concentrations, fragment 1+2 concentrations, plasmino gen or alpha 2-antiplasmin activity. From this study, we conclude that diets rich in lauric or palmitic acid, co mpared with a diet rich in oleic acid, unfavourably influence factor VIIam activity, in a gender specific manner. In addition, the plasminogen activat or inhibiting capacity of the plasma is impaired with a palmitic acid rich diet compared with an oleic or lauric acid rich diet.