Hyperfibrinogenemia increases the risk of cardiac events after coronary artery stenting

Primary success rates, and the angiographic and clinical outcome after perc utaneous coronary intervention, are influenced by many different factors. C linical features and morphologic characteristics of the target lesion are i mportant. Also, interventionally caused endothelial trauma may trigger athe rogenetic and procoagulatory factors leading to intraluminal thrombosis. Th e study population consisted of 228 consecutive, unselected patients with s ymptomatic coronary artery disease or exercise-induced myocardial ischemia and coronary artery stenoses eligible for percutaneous intervention. We ana lyzed different clinical, morphological, and laboratory (total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, fibrinogen) features in those patients with adverse cardiac events (stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, urgent target vessel reva scularization, death) after primary successful coronary artery stenting, co mpared with a control group without adverse events. In the group with adver se cardiac events we found a significantly higher level of fibrinogen compa red with the control group. Other laboratory data and clinical characterist ics were not significantly different between the two groups. The study show s a possible association between hyperfibrinogenemia and adverse cardiac ev ents at. ter intracoronary stenting. In clinical practice, the potential ro le of elevated levels of fibrinogen in an unfavorable outcome after percuta neous coronary interventions should be considered when planning coronary ar tery stenting.