Association of fibrinogen and lipoprotein(a) as a coronary heart disease risk factor in men (The Quebec cardiovascular study)

Fibrinogen has been prospectively found to correlate with coronary heart disease (CHD) but a similar association has not been well established for lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)). Plasma lipids, Lp(a), and fibrinogen levels were measured in 2,125 men (aged 47 to 76 years) who were free of clinical CHD. During a 5-year follow-up period, 116 first CHD events were documented. Men with CHD were older, smoked more, had a higher prevalence of diabetes, and higher levels of systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, Lp(a), and fibrinogen, and lower plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Only fibrinogen levels in the upper tertile of the distribution compared with the lower tertiles were associated with a significant risk of CHD (adjusted risk ratio 2.5; 95% confidence interval [Cl] 1.4 to 4.2; p = 0.0010). Such an association was not observed with Lp(a). To assess a possible relation between fibrinogen and Lp(a) to the risk of CHD events, men were assigned to 1 of 4 groups according to fibrinogen median levels and a Lp(a) cut-off level of 300 mg/L: group 1: fibrinogen <4.05 g/L and Lp(a) <300 mg/L; group 2: fibrinogen <4.05 g/L and Lp(a) greater than or equal to300 mg/L; group 3: fibrinogen greater than or equal to4.05 g/L and Lp(a) <300 mg/L; and group 4: fibrinogen greater than or equal to4.05 g/L and Lp(a) greater than or equal to300 mg/L. Using group 1 as a reference, a significant risk ratio was only documented in group 4 (2.5; 95% Cl 1.2 to 5.1; p = 0.0132). In this population, high fibrinogen levels associated with high Lp(a) levels significantly increased the risk of CHD. (C) 2002 by Excerpta Medical, Inc.