Factor XII as a Risk Marker for Hemorrhagic Stroke: A Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND Coagulation factor XII (FXII) is involved in pathological thrombus formation and is a suggested target of anticoagulants. It is unclear whether FXII levels are correlated with cardiovascular risk factors and whether they are associated with myocardial infarction or ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between FXII and cardiovascular risk factors in the general population. We also aimed to study the associations between FXII levels and future myocardial infarction and ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. METHODS This prospective cohort study measured FXII levels in 1,852 randomly selected participants in a health survey performed in northern Sweden in 1994. Participants were followed until myocardial infarction, stroke, death, or until December 31, 2011. RESULTS During the median follow-up of 17.9 years, 165 individuals were diagnosed with myocardial infarction, 108 with ischemic stroke, and 30 with hemorrhagic stroke. There were weak correlations between FXII and body mass index, cholesterol, and hypertension. There was no association between FXII and myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke, neither in univariable Cox regression analysis nor after adjustment for age, sex, smoking, body mass index, cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes. In univariable Cox regression analysis, the hazard ratio for the association between FXII levels and hemorrhagic stroke was 1.42 per SD (95% confidence interval: 0.99-2.05). In the multivariable model, higher levels of FXII were associated with increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke (hazard ratio 1.51 per SD; 95% confidence interval: 1.03-2.21). CONCLUSION We found an independent association between FXII levels and the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, but not between FXII levels and ischemic stroke or myocardial infarction.