Body mass index and thrombogenic factors in newly menopausal women
Although having a high body mass index (BMI) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, researchers are only beginning to understand how BMI affects the physiological processes involved in the development of the disease. Now, a study of a subset of women in the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS), suggests that as BMI increases, so do platelet reactivity and thrombogenic microvesicles and activated protein C in the blood - all of which contribute to the formation of atherothrombosis and associated cardiovascular events. Moreover, as BMI increases, so do traditional established cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure, blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-sensitive C-reactive protein...