[Fibrinogen as a cardiovascular risk factor].

Fibrinogen is a globulin of hepatic synthesis necessary for the coagulative process and is considered a risk factor of atherosclerosis disease. The increase in plasma fibrinogen seems to play an important role in the atherosclerosis disease and actually it represents a major, independent risk factor that should be considered for screening programs aimed at identifying individuals at high risk for cardiovascular disease. In the present review we'll propose to summarize current pharmacological knowledge, the relationship between fibrinogen and the best known cardiovascular factors like smoking and hypercholesterolemia. Furthermore we'll show the main mechanisms which make hyperfibrinogenaemia a pathogenetic factor of atherosclerosis. Lastly we analyse the possible fibrinogen lowering therapy.