Dietary Factors Related to Higher Plasma Fibrinogen Levels of Japanese-Americans in Hawaii Compared With Japanese in Japan

Objective— We investigated whether dietary factors explain higher plasma fibrinogen levels in Japanese emigrants living a Western lifestyle in Hawaii compared with Japanese in Japan. Methods and Results— Plasma fibrinogen and nutrient intakes were examined by standardized methods in men and women 40 to 59 years of age from a Japanese-American sample in Hawaii (100 men and 106 women) and 4 population samples in Japan (569 men and 567 women). Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the relationship between dietary factors and the plasma fibrinogen difference between Hawaii and Japan. Average plasma fibrinogen was significantly higher in Hawaii compared with Japan ( P Conclusions— Higher intake of iron, sugar, and caffeine, in addition to obesity, account largely for higher fibrinogen levels with Westernized lifestyle.