Coagulation, fibrinolysis and haemorheology in premenopausal obese women with different body fat distribution

Abstract

Recently waist/hip ratio (WHR), a marker of body fat distribution, has been described as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of body fat distribution on metabolic, haemostatic and haemorheological pattern in premenopausal obese women with different WHR. Fourty premenopausal obese women were subdivided into two groups, matched for age and body mass index (BMI): 20 women with abdominal obesity (WHR= 0.94 ± 0.02) and 20 women with peripheral obesity (WHR= 0.77 ± 0.03). Twenty nonobese women were recruited as control group. The abdominal obesity group had significantly higher blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, Apolipoprotein B and plasma insulin levels and lower high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and Apolipoprotein A1 levels than the control group. All the haemostatic (fibrinogen, Factor VII, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) activity and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen (Ag) pre venous occlusion (VO)) and haemorheological parameters (haematocrit, whole blood filterability, blood and plasma viscosity) were significantly higher in the abdominal obesity group as compared to the control group. In contrast, mean values of t-PA (Ag) post VO were significantly lower in abdominal obese women. Moreover positive correlations between WHR and plasma insulin (r= 0.68, p< 0.05), between WHR and fibrinogen (r= 0.63, p< 0.05) and between WHR and PAI pre VO (r= 0.71, p< 0.05) and a negative correlation between WHR and t-PA (Ag) post VO (r= −0.55, p< 0.05) were found. Our findings suggest that the lipid, haemostatic and haemorheological alterations may contribute to the high rate of cardiovascular events reported in abdominal obesity.