High platelet volume and increased risk of myocardial infarction: 39,531 participants from the general population.

BACKGROUND

Active platelets are large and contribute to development of myocardial infarction (MI). Platelet size is measured automatically as mean platelet volume (MPV) together with platelet count.

OBJECTIVES

We tested the hypothesis that increased MPV is associated with risk of MI in the general population independent of known cardiovascular risk factors.

METHODS

We examined 39,531 men and woman from the Danish general population (the Copenhagen General Population Study), of whom 1300 developed MI.

RESULTS

After multifactorial adjustment for known cardiovascular risk factors, risk of MI was increased by 37% (95% CI, 18-59%) in the middle and 30% (12-52%) in the upper vs. the lower tertile of MPV. Compared with the 1st quintile of MPV, there was corresponding increased risk of MI of 13% (-7% to 39%), 35% (11-64%), 31% (8-59%) and 29% (6-57%) in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th quintile, respectively. Similar values for octiles were increases in MI risk of -3% (-25% to 26%), 15% (-10% to 46%), 31% (1- 69%), 32% (5-68%), 31% (2-67%), 27% (-1% to 62%) and 26% (-1% to 61%), respectively, in the 2nd through to the 8th octile vs. the 1st octile of MPV. Use of antiplatelet therapy did not modify these risk estimates. Finally, in prospective, multifactorially adjusted analyses, risk of MI increased by 38% (8-75%) in individuals with MPV ≥ 7.4 vs. < 7.4 fL.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased MPV is associated with increased risk of MI independent of known cardiovascular risk factors.