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Thromb Haemost 1997; 77(01): 094-098
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1655913
Coagulation
Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart

Haemostatic Variables in Pacific Islanders Apparently Free from Stroke and Ischaemic Heart Disease – The Kitava Study

Staffan Lindeberg
1   The Department of Community Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
,
Erik Berntorp
2   The Department of Coagulation Disorders, Malmö University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
,
Roland Carlsson
3   The Department of Medicine, Central Hospital, Karlstad, Sweden
,
Mats Eliasson
4   The Department of Medicine, Luleå Hospital and Umeå University, Sweden
,
Peter Marckmann
5   The Research Department of Human Nutrition, Royal veterinary and Agricultural University, Frederiksberg, Denmark
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 22 May 1996

Accepted after resubmisssion 23 September 1996

Publication Date:
11 July 2018 (online)

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Summary

We cross-sectionally measured plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) activity, fibrinogen, factor VII (FVII:C) and VIII (FVIII:C) coagulant activity, and von Willebrand factor antigen (VWF:Ag) in 162 traditional horticulturalists older than 40 years from the tropical island of Kitava, Papua New Guinea, where the intake of western food is negligible and where stroke and ischaemic heart disease appear to be absent. Identical analyses were made in Swedish subjects of comparable ages.

Kitavans had markedly lower PAI-1 activity, with 85% of males and 100% of females having PAI-1 activity ≤5 U/ml, as compared with 22 and 14% in Swedish males and females (p <0.0001). Surprisingly, Kitavans also had higher FVII:C, FVIII: C and VWF: Ag. Fibrinogen was 10% lower in Kitavan males while 25% higher in Kitavan females.

The very low PAI-1 activity in Kitavans may explain some of their apparent freedom from cardiovascular disease and probably relates to their extreme leanness.

 

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