Plasma fibrinogen and other cardiovascular risk factors in urban American Indian smokers.

Although cardiovascular disease is an important health concern for urban American Indians, little information is available on their risk factor levels. We examined several risk factors (plasma fibrinogen, body size and shape, and serum cholesterol) among American Indian smokers in a smoking cessation trial at four urban Indian health clinics. The American Indian smokers had higher levels of fibrinogen and abdominal obesity than African-American and white smokers in two other population-based studies. Serum cholesterol concentrations among the American Indian smokers were lower than typical values among US whites. Among the American Indians, plasma fibrinogen was higher in women (mean: 338 mg/dL) than in men (mean: 318 mg/dL); positively correlated (P < .05) with age, body mass index, and waist-hip ratio; and negatively correlated with serum cholesterol level. Even though average cholesterol levels were not high, the combination of abdominal obesity and high fibrinogen among American Indians, particularly smokers, may increase their risk of cardiovascular disease.