title: The risk of mortality and the factor V Leiden mutation in a population-based cohort.
abstract: The factor V Leiden mutation (conferring resistance to activated protein C) has been implicated in the risk of arterial thrombosis and is a well-established risk factor for venous thrombosis especially in the elderly. We studied whether the disease association of the factor V mutation is reflected in an increased all-cause and cause-specific mortality. First, the prevalence of the factor V Leiden mutation was determined in a population-based study among subjects aged 85 years and over (4.7%, n = 660) and was found to correspond to the prevalence in young subjects aged 18 to 40 years (5.0%, n = 321). Secondly, we studied the association of factor V Leiden with the risk of all-cause mortality and specific causes of death in the elderly cohort during a 10-year follow-up period. Neither the all-cause mortality risk (RR 1.0; 95% CI, 0.7-1.5), nor the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease (RR 0.9; 95% CI, 0.5-1.7) were increased in elderly subjects heterozygous for factor V Leiden. Our study thus indicates that heterozygosity for factor V Leiden does not affect population mortality.
authors.affiliation: Gaubius Laboratory, TNO Prevention and Health, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Heijmans
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Westendorp
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Knook
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kluft
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Slagboom
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005165:Factor V / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012306:Risk; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality*
chemical_list: C095381:factor V Leiden; D005165:Factor V