OBJECTIVETo detect the relationship of plasma fibrinogen, platelet aggregation rate and peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) in the elderly.

METHODSCross-sectional survey for PAOD was implemented. Two thousands one hundred twenty-one subjects aged 60 - 89 years, male 941, female 1180, means aged 68.51 +/- 4.83 years, were randomly selected out of 20 411 elderly residents within 94 residential communities on the Wanshoulu area, Beijing. Case group involved 232 subjects, including 73 males and 159 females, with mean age 70.97 +/- 6.46 years, were randomly selected from the PAOD group on the PAOD cross-sectional study. 464 subjects were involved in the control group, including 217 males and 247 females, with mean age of 68.63 +/- 5.29, were randomly selected beyond the PAOD group on the PAOD cross-sectional study. Plasma fibrinogen level and platelet aggregation rate were determined in both groups. T test between the two groups was performed. The factors contributing to PAOD in this study (including: age, gender, smoking, obesity, family history of hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke and triglycerides, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, plasma fibrinogen, platelet aggregation rate) were performed using logistic regression analysis by diagnostic criteria of PAOD in this study. Stepwise selection was also used in this multivariate regression analysis.

RESULTSPlasma fibrinogen level (435.45 mg/dl +/- 115.25 mg/dl), was higher in the PAOD group than in the control group (360.96 mg/dl +/- 93.52 mg/dl, P = 0.001). Platelet aggregation rate at 3 minute (48.76% +/- 23.90%) in the PAOD group was higher compared with the control group (43.50% +/- 26.76%) with P = 0.012. Logistic regression analysis showed that factors, as plasma fibrinogen (OR = 0.994, 95% CI: 0.992 - 0.994), platelet aggregation rate at 3 minute (OR = 0.578, 95% CI: 0.403 - 0.829) were independent risk factors contributing to PAOD in this study.

CONCLUSIONPlasma fibrinogen level and platelet aggregation rate were higher in the older patients of PAOD. It is possible for clinical physicians to inhibit platelet aggregation and reduce plasma fibrinogen level in the PAOD patients.