Fibrinogen plasma levels in an apparently healthy general population: Relation to environmental and genetic determinants

SummaryElevated fibrinogen levels are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular ischemic disease. We investigated the relationship between cardiovascular ischemic risk factors, the fibrinogen Bβ-chain G/A-455 polymorphism and plasma fibrinogen levels in 989 apparently healthy subjects. Fibrinogen values were higher in subjects with C reactive protein (C-RP) > 0.33 mg/dl, BMI > 23.9 kg/m2, total cholesterol > 4.84 mmol/l, triglycerides >1.02 mmol/l, PAI-1 antigen >12.2 ng/ml, carriers of the A allele, first-degree relative history of coronary artery disease, or consuming >10 cigarettes per day (p <0.01). Men and ethanol drinkers showed lower plasma fibrinogen levels …