Haemostatic- and oxidative stress markers are associated with increased cardiovascular risk. In the black population, evidence exists that both an imbalance in the haemostatic system and oxidative stress link with the development of
hypertension. However, it is unclear whether these two risk components function independently or are related, specifically in the black population, who is known to have a high prevalence of
stroke. We aimed to investigate associations between the haemostatic system and oxidative stress in black and white South Africans. We performed a cross-sectional study including 181 black (mean age, 44; 51.4% women) and 209 white (mean age, 45; 51.7% women) teachers. Several markers of the haemostatic- (
von Willebrand factor,
fibrinogen,
plasminogen activator inhibitor-1,
d-dimer and clot lysis time) and
oxidant-
antioxidant (serum
peroxides, total
glutathione,
glutathione peroxidase- and
glutathione reductase activities) systems were measured. Along with a worsened cardiovascular profile, the black group had higher haemostatic-,
inflammation- and oxidative stress markers as well as decreased
glutathione peroxidase activity. In multiple regression analyses,
fibrinogen was positively associated with serum
peroxides (p < 0.001) in both ethnic groups. In the black population, we found negative associations of
von Willebrand factor and clot lysis time with
glutathione peroxidase activity (p ≤ 0.008), while a positive association existed between clot lysis time and serum
peroxides (p = 0.011) in the white population. We conclude that in the black population, decreased GPx activity accompanies an altered haemostatic profile, while in the white population associations may suggest that serum
peroxides impair
fibrin clot lysis.