The variability of and associations between measures of blood coagulation, fibrinolysis and blood lipids

Hemostatic variables are increasingly recognized as atherothrombotic risk markers and their susceptibility to lifestyle changes has therefore considerable interest. To study this subject knowledge of the spontaneous variability of measures of coagulation and fibrinolytis is required. We monitored 17 young male adults with constant lifestyles for a year and here present characteristics of the observed variability of factor VII coagulant activity (F VIIc), fibrinogen, fibrinolytic variables and blood lipids. The variables differed considerably with regard to total variability (range of CV (%): 13-54) and with respect to relative size of the inter- and intrapersonal components of variation. None of the variables showed seasonal changes of biological significance. Descriptive statistics of the same variables measured in 74 young healthy adults (19 women, 55 men) are also reported. These values may be used as a reference for comparable groups of individuals. Serum triglycerides were significantly associated with F VIII (Spearman's R_s = 0.24, P < 0.05) and plasma concentrations of the plasminogen activator inhibitor type I (Spearman's R_s = 0.23, P = 0.05). An increased thrombotic tendency with elevated triglyceride cells was thus indicated. Serum cholesterol was not associated with hemostatic variables, except for plasminogen activator activity (Spearman's R_s = 0.31, P < 0.05).