Coagulation factor VII in middle-aged women with and without coronary heart disease

Epidemiological studies of coagulation factor VII as a risk factor for coro nary heart disease (CHD), mainly conducted in men. have shown discrepant re sults. We examined the associations of coagulation factor VII antigen (VIIa g) and activated factor VII (VIIa) with manifest CHD in a community-based c ast-control study of women aged 665 years. Mean plasma concentrations of VI Iag and VIIa in patients and controls were 443 +/- 108 and 418 +/- 89 ng/L (p <0.01) and 5.26 <plus/minus> 2.21 and 4.90 +/- 1.65 ng/L (Ns), respectiv ely. The odds ratio (OR) for CHD for the highest versus the lowest quartile of VIIag was 1.75 (95% CI, 1.05 to 2.92), The adjusted OR was 0.76 (95% CI , 0.28-1.98) after controlling for other cardiovascular risk factors. The c orresponding ORs for VIIa were non-significant. In conclusion. the plasma c oncentration of VIIa was not significantly increased in a large group of wo men with pre cocious CHD, and VIIag levels, although elevated. were not ind ependently associated with manifest disease.