Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

An increase of FVII activity (FVIIc) has been proposed to be an independent cardiovascular risk factor. Whether FVII is associated with insulin resistance in coronary heart disease (CHD) is still unknown. We tested the hypothesis that plasma FVII activity and leptin are associated with insulin resistance independently.

METHODS:

We studied 130 subjects, of which 65 were CHD subjects and 65 were non-CHD control subjects. Fasting plasma levels of leptin, insulin, glucose, FVIIc activity, fibrinogen, lipid parameters were estimated for all the subjects. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and blood pressure levels were also determined.

RESULTS:

We observed significantly raised plasma levels of FVIIc activity, leptin and insulin resistance among the CHD subjects compared to the non-CHD subjects. Raised FVIIc activity levels in CHD were significantly positively correlated with insulin resistance. Raised plasma leptin levels in CHD were correlated with insulin resistance, BMI and WC. Multivariate regression analysis showed that elevated levels of FVII activity in CHD was significantly associated with insulin resistance, independent of dyslipidemia, leptin, blood pressure levels, BMI, WC, gender and age. Furthermore, raised leptin levels in CHD subjects were significantly associated with insulin resistance and BMI, independently of each other and of dyslipidemia, FVIIc, blood pressure levels, WC, gender and age.

CONCLUSION:

Raised FVII and leptin levels in CHD patients were independently associated with insulin resistance, this was not observed among the non-CHD subjects.