Hemostatic risk factors and insulin sensitivity, regional body fat distribution, and the metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Disturbances in the thrombotic and fibrinolytic systems are a feature of insulin resistance, obesity, and the metabolic syndrome. However, there are few studies in which these relationships have been explored in mainly asymptomatic individuals using sophisticated measures of insulin sensitivity and regional adiposity. Variables of the hemostatic system were measured in 106 men (aged 32-68 yr; body mass index, 20-34 kg/m2). Insulin sensitivity was measured by minimal model analysis and regional adiposity by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Clustering of intercorrelated variables was assessed by the statistical technique of factor analysis. Plasma levels of procoagulant factors VII and X, anticoagulant proteins C and S, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 correlated positively with total and percent central body fat (r = 0.25-0.38; P < 0.05) and negatively with insulin sensitivity (except protein S; r = -0.24 to -0.35; P < 0.05). On factor analysis, procoagulant factors VII and X, proteins C and S, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 were components of the cluster of variables that explained the greatest proportion of the variance in the data (39.2%). Other variables included in this cluster were those typical of the metabolic syndrome and also serum γ-glutamyl transferase activity. These results suggest that factors VII and X and proteins C and S are features of the intercorrelated disturbances of the metabolic syndrome. Associations with adiposity and liver enzyme activity suggest the involvement of hepatic fat deposition.