Hemostasis, inflammation, and fatal and nonfatal coronary heart disease: long-term follow-up of the atherosclerosis risk in communities (ARIC) cohort.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines the hypothesis that chronic inflammation is associated with a higher risk of cardiac death compared to the risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction.


RESULTS
Cardiac death and nonfatal MI events were identified in the ARIC cohort during follow-up from 1987 through 2001. Markers of inflammation and hemostasis were determined at baseline using standardized procedures. Cox proportional hazard regression and polytomous logistic regression were used to estimate associations. We observed a positive gradient in incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD), nonsudden cardiac death (NSCD), and nonfatal MI in association with decreasing levels of albumin and increasing levels of white blood cell count and of markers of hemostasis (fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, factor VIIIc). Associations for von Willebrand factor were stronger for fatal relative to nonfatal events (3rd versus 1st tertile hazard ratios: SCD 3.11 [95% CI 2.10, 4.59], NSCD 2.12 [95% CI 1.28, 3.49], nonfatal MI 1.42 [95% CI 1.19, 1.70]). For factor VIIIc those associations were strongest for sudden cardiac death: SCD 3.16 (95% CI 2.18, 4.58), NSCD 1.44 (95% CI 0.93, 2.24), nonfatal MI 1.54 (95% CI 1.29, 1.84). Gradients of association for fibrinogen and white blood cell count, examined over tertiles of distribution and per one SD increase, were similar for the 3 end points. All associations were independent of smoking status.


CONCLUSIONS
von Willebrand factor and factor VIIIc are associated with an increased risk of cardiac death as compared to the risk of nonfatal MI.
Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 137 E Franklin St, Suite 306, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA. Anna_Newton@unc.edu
Anna M
AM
Kucharska-Newton
David J
DJ
Couper
James S
JS
Pankow
Ronald J
RJ
Prineas
Thomas D
TD
Rea
Nona
N
Sotoodehnia
Aravinda
A
Chakravarti
Aaron R
AR
Folsom
David S
DS
Siscovick
Wayne D
WD
Rosamond
D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005169:Factor VIII / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006487:Hemostasis; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D005169:Factor VIII; D005340:Fibrinogen