RELATION BETWEEN DIETARY FIBER CONSUMPTION AND FIBRINOGEN AND PLASMINOGEN-ACTIVATOR INHIBITOR TYPE-1 - THE NATIONAL-HEART-LUNG-AND-BLOOD-INSTITUTE FAMILY HEART-STUDY

Considerable evidence suggests that high plasma concentrations of plas minogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) and fibrinogen increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Recent studies report beneficial effe cts of dietary fiber on coronary artery disease, although the mechanis ms by which high fiber intake reduces the risk of heart disease are no t well understood. This study examined the relation of dietary fiber i ntake to PAI-1 and fibrinogen concentrations in 883 men and 1116 women aged 50.4 +/- 13.8 and 52.1 +/- 13.7 y, respectively, in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study. Diet was assesse d with a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. The natural lo garithm was used to transform PAI-1 because of a skewed distribution. In the first through fifth ageand energy-specific quintiles of fiber i ntake, mean (ln)PAI-1 was 6.09, 5.91, 5.88, 5.82, and 5.67 pmol/L, res pectively, for men and 5.50, 5.37, 5.39, 5.23, and 5.18 pmol/L, respec tively, for women. Multiple regression showed that when the lowest was compared with the second, third, fourth, and fifth age- and energy-sp ecific quintiles of fiber intake, (ln)PAI-1 was 0.21, 0.25, 0.22, and 0.32 pmol/L lower in men (P for trend = 0.009) and 0.08, 0.06, 0.14, a nd 0.20 pmol//L lower in women (P for trend = 0.037), respectively, wi th anthropometric, lifestyle, and metabolic factors adjusted for. No s ignificant association was found between fiber intake and fibrinogen. Waist-hip ratio did not modify the relation of fiber intake to PAI-1 ( P for interaction = 0.39 for men and 0.36 for women). These data sugge st that higher fiber intake is inversely associated with PAI-1, but no t with fibrinogen concentration.