Association of Fibrinogen With Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Cardiovascular Disease in the Framingham Offspring Population

Abstract

Background-Fibrinogen has been identified as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and associated with traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Also, the role of elevated fibrinogen in thrombosis suggests that it may be on the causal pathway for certain risk factors to exert their effect. These associations remain incompletely characterized. Moreover, the optimal fibrinogen assay for risk stratification is uncertain. Methods and Results-In 2632 subjects from cycle 5 of the Framingham Offspring Population, fibrinogen levels were determined with a newly developed immunoprecipitation test (American Biogenetic Sciences) and the functional Clauss method. With the immunoprecipitation method, there were significant linear trends across fibrinogen tertiles (PϽ0.001) for age, body mass index, smoking, diabetes mellitus, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides in men and women. The Clauss method had significant results (PϽ0.030), except for triglycerides in men. Fibrinogen levels were higher for those with compared with those without cardiovascular disease. After covariate adjustment, fibrinogen remained significantly higher in those with cardiovascular disease with the use of the immunoprecipitation test (Pϭ0.035 and Pϭ0.018 for men and women, respectively) but not with the Clauss method. Conclusions-Fibrinogen was associated with traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Elevation of fibrinogen may provide a mechanism for risk factors to exert their effect. Also, fibrinogen levels were higher among subjects with cardiovascular disease compared with those without disease. The immunoprecipitation test showed a stronger association with cardiovascular disease than the Clauss method, suggesting that it may be a useful screening tool to identify individuals at increased thrombotic risk.

Antioxidant status in patients with acute myocardial infarction

“…Fibrinogen is a circulating glycoprotein that acts at the final step in the coagulation response to vascular and tissue injury. Fibrinogen is an acute phase reactant that is increased in inflammatory states (24). Hepatic synthesis of fibrinogen can increase up to 4-fold in response to inflammatory or infectious triggers (25).…”

Interleukin-6 ( IL-6 ) and the Prognosis of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

“…Moreover, recent evidence indicates that in smaller samples, association of risk with fibrinogen may depend on the particular assay used. 21 The secretion of IL-6 from an abdominal aortic aneurysm is likely to have important systemic effects. Exclusion of the aneurysm from the circulation is likely to diminish these effects and explain why, in AAA patients, the association between IL-6 genotype and survival is strongest in the surveillance period.…”

Involvement of Depressive Catecholamines as Thrombosis Risk/Inflammatory Markers in Non-Smoker, Non-Obese Congestive Heart Failure, Linked to Increased Epidermal Growth Factor-Receptor (EGF-R) Production

“…Fibrinogen levels were determined with the modified Clauss method (Technoclone GmbH, Vienna, Austria) [15]. Calcium was determined by reaction with methyl-thymol blue [16].…”