Thrombotic and fibrinolytic factors which change in women following menopause, may be of pathogenetic importance in atherogenetic and thrombotic cardiovascular diseases by altering fibrinolysis on vascular surfaces. We investigated whether parameters of thrombosis and fibrinolysis were different before and after menopause.

Thrombotic factors such as plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1(PAI-1), fibrinogen, a2 antiplasmin, lipoprotein(a) were measured. In addition, fibrinolytic factors such as plasma tissue-type plasminogen activator(t-PA), plasminogen, antithrombin-III were also assessed in 41 premenopausal women, 174 menopausal women and 201 men.

PAI-1 and fibrinogen and t-PA were significantly higher in menopausal women than in premenopausal women(13.1±6.6 vs 16.9±9.5ng/ml, p=0.046, 293.6±83.3 vs 347. 5±256.9mg/dl, p=0.001, 10.1±4.4 vs 12.5±5.6ng/ml, p=0.003). A positive significant correlation was found between PAI-1 and any other thrombogenic and fibrinolytic factors.

PAI-1, fibrinogen, t-PA were higher in menopausal women than in premenopausal women. The findings suggest that increase of athersclerotic and thrombotic cardiovascular diseases after menopause may be influenced by these changes.