β-Fibrinogen gene -455G/A polymorphism and coronary heart disease incidence: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

PURPOSE: The -455G/A (HaeIII) polymorphism of the β-fibrinogen gene influences levels of plasma fibrinogen. We determined whether it influences risk of coronary heart disease. METHODS: We conducted a case-cohort study nested within a prospective investigation, the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. We accumulated 398 incident coronary heart disease cases over a median of 5.3 years of follow-up and compared their -455G/A status with a random sample of the cohort (n = 498). RESULTS: Plasma fibrinogen was higher (p = 0.04) in AA homozygous participants (341 mg/dL) than in persons carrying the G allele: GA (290 mg/dL), GG (298 mg/dL). However, there was no significant association between -455G/A and incident CHD. CONCLUSIONS: Although a small effect cannot be excluded, -455G/A does not appear to be an important genetic determinant of CHD.