Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is an irreversible myocardial injury and necrosis caused by serious and long term ischemia. Fibrinogen is considered as
one of the probable risk factors of myocardial infarction.
Patients and methods: 1.8-mL venous blood specimen from 40 patients with MI and 50 control subjects was obtained and put it into tubes containing 0.2 mol/L trisodium citrate. Plasma fibrinogen level was determined by the method of Clauss (Diagnostic Stago, France).
Results The mean age of patients was (45.2 ± 6) years in patients with premature myocardial infarction and (45.06±5) years in the control group (p =0.07). There were no statistically significant relationships between the two groups in history of premature myocardial infarction in their first-degree relatives (p =0.05), cigarette smoking (p =0.06), diabetes (p =0.08), or hypertension (p =0.071). The mean plasma fibrinogen in patients (495 ±10.2mg/dL) was elevated markedly compared with the control group (465±8.4 mg/dl) ( p =0.01) . Hyperfibrinogenemia (>450 mg/dL) was detected in 87.5% of patients and 52.0% of controls.
Conclusion: This study introduced fibrinogen as a risk factor for premature coronary artery disease in Iraqi men.