Relationship between lipid peroxidation and plasma fibrinogen in middle-aged men

The relationship between lipid peroxidation (plasma malondialdehyde [MDA] concentration) and plasma fibrinogen level was analyzed in 144 men, aged 53-62 years, MDA was measured colorimetrically and fibrinogen with the thrombin method. Mean plasma MDA concentration was 12.6 (SD 1.2) mu mol/L, plasma fibrinogen level 2.91 (0.47) g/L, and body mass index 27.1 (3.5) kg/m(2). Prevalence of smoking was 17%. MBA correlated moderately with fibrinogen (r = 0.45, p < 0.001). Both MDA and fibrinogen correlated positively with waist hip ratio (WHR) (r = 0.36 and r = 0.38, p < 0.001 for both) and blood leukocyte count (r = 0.36 and r = 0.45, p < 0.001), but inversely with VO(2)max (r = -0.23, P = 0.005; r = -0.41, p < 0.001), Both MDA and fibrinogen levels were higher in smokers than in non-smokers (p < 0.01), In multiple stepwise regression analysis, plasma MDA, VO(2)max, smoking, and leukocyte count explained 38.1% of the variance in plasma fibrinogen level, with the individual contributions reaching 20.6%, 9.7%, 5.5%, and 2.3%, respectively. WHR, serum triglycerides, and age did not enter the model. These data suggest that increased lipid peroxidation is associated with elevated plasma fibrinogen level in middle-aged men. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.