Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, Vol 53, Issue 1 M8-13, Copyright © 1998 by The Gerontological Society of America

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Fibrinolytic and coagulation factors in very old subjects: association with lipoprotein profile and anthropometric variables

L Vergnani, G Zuliani, F Ricci, N Manzoli, M Carantoni, S Volpato and R Fellin
Second Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ferrara, Italy.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), factor VII activity (FVII), and fibrinogen in a sample of octo- nonagenarians. Furthermore, we investigated the relationship of these fibrinolytic and coagulation parameters with lipoprotein profile and anthropometric variables in the absence or presence of disability. METHODS: We enrolled a population of 162 octo-nonagenarians, divided in two groups on the basis of presence or absence of disability in the activity of daily living (ADL). All the anthropometric determinations were carried out according to standardized methods. Blood samples for hemostatic and lipid determinations were collected after overnight fasting and resting. RESULTS: PAI-1 activity and fibrinogen levels were significantly higher in disabled (DIS) compared to free-living (FL) adults, whereas FVII did not show differences in the two groups. PAI-1 activity and FVII positively correlated to anthropometric parameters (body mass index, subscapular and tricipital skinfold thickness) in both DIS and FL. No correlations were found between fibrinogen and other variables in FL, whereas a negative relation with high density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels emerged in DIS. FVII was positively related with total cholesterol low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B in both FL and DIS. CONCLUSIONS: In a sample of octo- nonagenarians, PAI-1 activity and FVII show a significant correlation with several anthropometric and lipoprotein parameters, suggesting that these variables are strongly associated with body composition and lipid metabolism independent from age and disability. DIS presented higher PAI-1 and fibrinogen levels; this observation may take in account the high prevalence of vascular diseases and also occult inflammation, which are known to affect these parameters.