Impaired spontaneous thrombolytic activity in elderly and in habitual smokers, as measured by a new global thrombosis test

Abstract

We used a new test (the Görög Thrombosis Test) for assessing the effect of aging, smoking and exercise habits on the overall thrombotic status including platelet reactivity and spontaneous thrombolytic activity of 30 healthy young males (mean, 21.1 +/- 0.4 years) and 34 elderly males (64.5 +/- 1.1 years). The occlusion time (OT) and the lysis time (LT) were measured from a single native blood sample. The OT is an index of platelet activation and subsequent occlusive thrombus formation by high shear stress, while the LT is an index of the resumption of blood flow due to thrombolysis. The LTs in the elderly group were significantly longer than in the young group (P < 0.001). The LTs of elderly smokers were significantly longer than those of non-smokers (P < 0.001). Exercise did not affect the LT significantly. Platelet reactivity to shear stress (OT) was not affected either by aging, smoking or exercise habits. Suppressed spontaneous thrombolytic activity in elderly males and smokers could be a mechanism of acute thrombotic events in these people.

The exercise paradox may be solved by measuring the overall thrombotic state using native blood

“…The shear-induced thrombosis and thrombolysis tests were performed on non-anticoagulated blood (haemostatometer, thrombotic status analyser, and GTT). The thrombotic state was influenced by age (46), smoking (46)(47)(48), gender (47), and race (49). These findings corroborate the results of clinical studies indicating that physical exercise or sports helped to prevent a prothrombotic state and increased an individual's quality of life (3,38,41,50).…”

Enhanced spontaneous thrombolysis: A new therapeutic challenge

“…The latter occurs in less than an hour, a time frame acceptable both in the laboratory and in clinical settings. In volunteers of different age groups, spontaneous thrombolysis was significantly impaired in habitual smokers [71], in elderly males but not in females. It was suggested that this could be an explanation for the well-established gender differences in risk of acute coronary syndromes [72].…”

Anti-thrombotic effect of strawberries

“…Platelet aggregation induced by shear forces is, however, more similar to the pathological process of arterial thrombosis than the agonist-induced plateletaggregation tests [12]. Furthermore, an in vitro test performed from native, non-anticoagulated blood has much more relevance in vivo than those tests that use anticoagulated blood [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22].…”