Subjective health and fibrinogen in a healthy Chinese cohort.
OBJECTIVE
This study explores standard cardiovascular (CVD) risk factors in a healthy population sample, with low CVD prevalence and presumed higher social connectedness as potential mechanisms linking subjective health (SH) and physical health.


METHODS
A population-based, telephone-sampled, cross-sectional study recruited a healthy subset of 2280 Chinese adults who subsequently underwent a free medical examination. Serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins (LDL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), triglycerides, fibrinogen, fasting glucose, 2-hour post-load glucose, blood pressure and adiposity were compared between respondents reporting good SH and those reporting poor SH over the past 3 months, on a 4-point, single-item measure.


RESULTS
After adjustment for age, gender, education, exercise, marital and smoking status, only serum fibrinogen significantly differentiated the two groups. Respondents reporting Very poor or Poor SH had a significantly greater likelihood of raised mean fibrinogen levels compared with those reporting Good or Very good SH (Adjusted Odds Ratio 1.37, 95% CL 1.002-1.84, p < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a small but robust association between SH and fibrinogen in this low CVD prevalent population unexplained by known pre-existing disease.
Fielding
Richard
R
Department of Community Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. Fielding@hkusua.hku.hk
Lam
Tai Hing
TH
Ho
Sai Yin
SY
Janus
Edward D
ED
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology*; D002681:China; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D005340:Fibrinogen