The PLAT Study: a multidisciplinary study of hemostatic function and conventional risk factors in vascular disease patients

Abstract In this paper are reported the basal results of a multidisciplinary, multicenter study designed to explore in a population with ischemic disease the relation between hemostatic variables, conventional risk factors and atherothrombotic sequelae. 953 patients ⩽ 69 yrs with documented coronary, cerebral or peripheral atherosclerotic disease were studied and followed-up for 24 months. Examinations included hemostatic and lipid laboratory assays, arterial Doppler examination, cerebral computerized tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance, exercise electrocardiogram and coronary angiography. Fibrinogen (301.4 ± 71.52 mg/dl) correlated positively with antithrombin III ( r = 0.27) and leukocytes ( r = 0.25), negatively with HDL-cholesterol (r = 0.18) and tended to increase with smoking. Heavy smokers had higher leukocyte counts than non-smokers (8.0 ± 2.0 vs. 7.2 ± 2.1 × 103/μl), higher triglycerides (1.87 ± 1.12 vs. 1.53 ± 1.35 mmol/I) and lower HDL-cholesterol (0.93 ± 0.27 vs. 1.00 ± 0.25 mmol/I). FVII correlated positively with triglycerides ( r = 0.16) and protein C ( r = 0.45). vWF: Ag (145.4 ± 70.58%) ad FVII:C (139.7 ± 59.10%) were positively correlated ( r = 0.44). FVIII:C correlated positively with fibrinogen ( r = 0.21). Myocardial infarction survivors with associated cerebral and peripheral vascular lesions had higher FVIII:C, FVII, fibrinogen and vWF:Ag. These findings suggest that hemostatic factors may enhance and/or mediate the effects of conventional risk factors in atherothrombotic ischemic events.