title: Independent contribution of psychological factors to fibrin turnover in subjects with sleep apnoea and/or systemic hypertension.
abstract: By promoting atherosclerosis and thrombosis, a blood-clotting diathesis could contribute to excess cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with systemic hypertension and/or obstructive sleep apnoea. Since psychological states affect haemostatic activity, we wondered about the contribution of behavioural factors to a hypercoagulable state in subjects with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. To tease apart the potential additive nature of cardiovascular disease risk, we examined four patient groups - hypertensives and normotensives, with and without sleep apnoea. The procoagulant molecules thrombin-antithrombin III complex, fibrin D-dimer and von Willebrand factor antigen were measured in 88 subjects (mean age 47 years; range 32-64 years) who underwent full polysomnography. Subjects completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies - Depression (CES-D) Scale, the Cook-Medley (CM) Hostility Scale, and the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Sleep apnoea, hypertension status, age, body mass index and psychological variables (CES-D, CM Stress, and POMS Vigour-Activity) together explained 29% of the variance in D-dimer, a marker of fibrin turnover ( r (2)=0.29, P =0.001). CES-D, CM Stress and POMS Vigour-Activity explained 17% of this variance even after controlling for sleep apnoea, hypertension status, age and body mass index (Delta r (2)=0.17, P =0.001). Thrombin-antithrombin III complex and von Willebrand factor were not significantly related to psychological variables, but this may reflect limited statistical power. Thus psychological factors are independently associated with D-dimer and explain as much of its variance as do traditional correlates (hypertension, sleep apnoea, age and body mass index). These results may provide a rationale for linking behavioural aspects with cardiovascular events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, USA.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: von Känel
authors.forename: Wayne A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Bardwell
authors.forename: Charles C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.forename: Joel E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dimsdale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000990:Antithrombin III; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000378:metabolism*; D006487:Hemostasis; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000097:blood; D017286:Polysomnography; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C046193:antithrombin III-protease complex; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D000990:Antithrombin III; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases