title: Relationships of inflammatory and haemostatic markers with social class: results from a population-based study of older men.
abstract: Haemostatic and inflammatory markers have been hypothesised to mediate the relationship of social class and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We investigated whether a range of inflammatory/haemostatic markers are associated with social class independent of chronic diseases and behavioural risk factors in a population-based sample of 2682 British men aged 60-79 without a physician diagnosis of CVD, diabetes or musculoskeletal disease requiring anti-inflammatory medications. Men in lower social classes had higher mean levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, interleukin-6, white blood cell count, von Willebrand factor (vWF), factor VIII, activated protein C (APC) resistance, plasma viscosity, fibrin D-dimer and platelet count, compared to higher social class groups; but not of tissue plasminogen activator antigen, haematocrit or activated partial prothrombin time. After adjustment for behavioural risk factors (smoking, alcohol, physical activity and body mass), the associations of social class with vWF, factor VIII, APC resistance, plasma viscosity, and platelet count though weakened, remained statistically significant, while those of other markers were considerably attenuated. In this study of older men without CVD, the social gradient in inflammatory and haemostatic markers was substantially explained by behavioural risk factors. The effect of socio-economic gradient on the factor VIII-vWF complex, APC resistance, plasma viscosity and platelet count merits further study.
authors: Department of Primary Care & Population Sciences, Royal Free and University College Medical School, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, UK. s.ramsay@pcps.ucl.ac.uk
authors: Sheena
authors: S
authors: Ramsay
authors: Gordon D O
authors: GD
authors: Lowe
authors: Peter H
authors: PH
authors: Whincup
authors: Ann
authors: A
authors: Rumley
authors: Richard W
authors: RW
authors: Morris
authors: S Goya
authors: SG
authors: Wannamethee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001809:Blood Viscosity; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000191:economics; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012907:Smoking; D012923:Social Class; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein