PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY STATUS AND ADVERSE AGE-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN COAGULATION AND FIBRINOLYTIC FACTORS IN WOMEN

Adverse changes in coagulation and fibrinolytic factors are thought to contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease and athero thrombosis with age. We tested the hypothesis that such age-related ch anges in specific coagulation and fibrinolytic factors are absent in p hysically active women. Resting levels of plasma fibrinogen, tissue-ty pe plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen and activity, plasminogen acti vator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) antigen and activity, and fibrin D-dimer wer e measured in 24 healthy premenopausal women: 11 sedentary (aged 28+/- 1 years; Pre-S) and 13 physically active (aged 30+/-1 years; Pre-PA) a nd in 27 healthy postmenopausal women: 14 sedentary (aged 61+/-1 years ; Post-S) and 13 physically active (aged 58+/-1 years; Post-PA). Post- S had higher (P<.05) fibrinogen, t-PA antigen, PAI-1 antigen, PAI-1 ac tivity, and fibrin D-dimer levels and lower t-PA activity than Pre-S. Post-PA demonstrated lower (P<.01) plasma fibrinogen, t-PA antigen, PA I-1 antigen, and PAI-1 activity and higher (P<.01) t-PA activity level s than Post-S. In addition, plasma fibrin D-dimer levels tended (P=.06 ) to be lower in Post-PA than in Post-S. Although plasma levels of fib rinogen and fibrin D-dimer in Post-PA were lower than in Post-S, they were higher (P<.05) than in Pre-PA. Importantly, however, the fibrinol ytic profile of Post-PA did not differ from that of Pre-PA. The result s of the present study demonstrate that the adverse age-associated dif ferences in plasma fibrinogen concentrations and the endogenous fibrin olytic system in sedentary healthy women are either attenuated or abse nt in highly physically active women. The smaller or absent age-relate d differences in coagulation and fibrinolytic factors in women who hab itually exercise may represent an important mechanism contributing to their lower age-related increase in both cardiovascular disease and at herothrombotic events. Future studies need to determine whether women who are moderately active would demonstrate the same favorable hemosta tic profile.