Summary
Coagulation factor V Leiden is a risk marker for venous thrombosis. For arterial thrombosis
no large study to date has included population-based elderly patients. The Cardiovascular
Health Study is a longitudinal study of 5,201 men and women over age 65. With 3.4-year
follow-up, we studied 373 incident cases of myocardial infarction (MI), angina, stroke,
or transient ischemic attack (TIA), and 482 controls. The odds ratios for each event
with heterozygous factor V Leiden were: MI, 0.46 (95% CI 0.17 to 1.25); angina, 1.0
(95% CI 0.45 to 2.23); stroke, 0.77 (95% CI 0.35 to 1.70); TIA, 1.33 (95% CI 0.5 to
3.55); any outcome, 0.83 (95% CI 0.48 to 1.44). Adjustment for cardiovascular risk
factors did not change relationships. In older adults factor V Leiden is not a risk
factor for future arterial thrombosis.