PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, FIBRINOGEN PLASMA LEVEL AND GENE POLYMORPHISMS IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN 1102

The relations of physical activity and fibrinogen gene polymorphisms to plasma fibrinogen levels were investigated in 176 postmenopausal women, aged 60 to 69 years. Women using analgesics or who were on anticoagulant or antilipidemic therapy were excluded from the analyses. Plasma fibrinogen level was determined by thrombin time method, the genetic polymorphism of α- and β-fibrinogen genes using PCR and digestion with TaqI (α) and BclI (β) and HindIII (β) restriction enzymes, and physical activity during the month preceding the examination by self-administered questionnaire. The mean fibrinogen level was 3.28 g/l (95%CI 3.21;3.36). There were no differences in plasma fibrinogen levels across the three restriction site polymorphisms when data were analyzed by genotype or carrier status. Physical activity correlated inversely with fibrinogen level (r=-0.24, p=0.001). In multiple regression analyses, both physical activity (p=0.008) and body mass index (p=0.001) were significant determinants of plasma fibrinogen, with the whole adjusted model, including age, explaining 12.6% of the variance of plasma fibrinogen. These data suggest that, in postmenopausal women, TaqI, BclI or HindIII restriction fragment length polymorphisms are not associated with plasma fibrinogen level with or without ajustment for physical activity, body mass index and age.