Summary
Factor VII coagulant activity (FVIIc) is associated with an increased risk of fatal
ischaemic heart disease (IHD). Several reports have suggested that dietary fat intake
or hypertriglyceridaemia are associated with elevated levels of FVII. This study demonstrates
that an intake of long-chain fatty acids sufficient to induce postprandial lipaemia
in healthy subjects leads to a substantial elevation in both FVIIc and the concentration
of FVII circulating in the activated form. Such an increase in FVIIc could not be
induced by medium-chain triglycerides. These results suggest that the consumption
of a sufficient amount of long-chain triglycerides to induce postprandial lipaemia
induces the activation of FVII.