Summary
To assess the role of genetic and environmental factors in the predisposition to atherosclerosis,
682 students whose father had suffered a myocardial infarction before the age of 55
(“cases”) and 1312 controls matched for age and sex, were recruited from 14 Universities
in Europe. Fibrinogen, factor Vile and PAI-1 were compared between cases and controls
across European regions. Fibrinogen and factor Vile were positively correlated with
BMI, smoking and contraception. PAI-1 was positively and independently correlated
with BMI and waist-to-hip ratio, and negatively with contraception. Factor Vile and
PAI-1 were correlated with cholesterol and triglycerides, and fibrinogen was weakly
correlated with LDL-cholesterol. After adjustment for covariates and lipids, fibrinogen
level was significantly higher in male cases than in controls (2.38 vs 2.29, p <0.01).
No such difference was found in females (2.59 vs 2.57 - NS). There was no significant
case/control difference for factor Vile and PAI-1. These results support the hypothesis
that fibrinogen is a transmissible risk factor of coronary artery disease in males.
No such evidence was provided for factor Vile and PAI-1.