Vegetarians and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Hemostasis, Inflammatory Markers and Plasma Homocysteine

Diego Mezzano; Ximena Muñoz; Carlos Martínez; Ada Cuevas; Olga Panes; Eduardo Aranda; Viviana Guasch; Pablo Strobel; Blanca Muñoz; Soledad Rodríguez; Jaime Pereira; Federico Leighton

doi:10.1055/s-0037-1614598

Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Table of Contents

Thromb Haemost 1999; 81(06): 913-917
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1614598

Letters to the Editor

Schattauer GmbH

Vegetarians and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Hemostasis, Inflammatory Markers and Plasma Homocysteine

Diego Mezzano

¹From the Departments of Hematology-Oncology and Nutrition, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile

,

Ximena Muñoz

¹From the Departments of Hematology-Oncology and Nutrition, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile

,

Carlos Martínez

¹From the Departments of Hematology-Oncology and Nutrition, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile

,

Ada Cuevas

¹From the Departments of Hematology-Oncology and Nutrition, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile

,

Olga Panes

¹From the Departments of Hematology-Oncology and Nutrition, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile

,

Eduardo Aranda

¹From the Departments of Hematology-Oncology and Nutrition, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile

,

Viviana Guasch

¹From the Departments of Hematology-Oncology and Nutrition, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile

,

Pablo Strobel

¹From the Departments of Hematology-Oncology and Nutrition, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile

,

Blanca Muñoz

¹From the Departments of Hematology-Oncology and Nutrition, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile

,

Soledad Rodríguez

¹From the Departments of Hematology-Oncology and Nutrition, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile

,

Jaime Pereira

¹From the Departments of Hematology-Oncology and Nutrition, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile

,

Federico Leighton

¹From the Departments of Hematology-Oncology and Nutrition, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Summary

We studied hemostatic and inflammatory cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF), and total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) in 26 vegetarians (23 lacto- or ovolactovegetarians and 3 vegans), matched by age, sex and socioeconomic status with omnivorous controls. Vegetarians had significantly lower proportion of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids in plasma lipids, significantly shortened bleeding time, and increased blood platelet count and in vitro platelet function (aggregation and secretion). Plasma levels of all coagulation or fibrinolytic factors and natural inhibitors synthesized in the liver were lower in vegetarians than in controls. Whereas for some factors this decrease was statistically significant (fibrinogen, factor VIIc, anti-thrombin III, protein S, plasminogen) for the remaining (factors VIIIc, Vc, prothrombin, protein C) a trend in the same direction was found. For hemostatic proteins of predominantly extrahepatic origin (von Willebrand factor, tPA, PAI-1) this tendency was not present. No significant differences in inflammatory proteins (C-reactive protein and α1-protease inhibitor) were detected in both groups. tHcy was significantly increased in vegetarians, and correlated only with cobalamin levels. The increased platelet function and tHcy found in vegetarians may counteract the known cardiovascular health benefits of vegetarian diet (VD).

Full Text

References

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