1012 Am J C/in Nuir l992;55:10l2-l7. Printed in USA. © 1992 American Society for Clinical Nutrition Alcohol and platelet aggregation: the Caerphilly Prospective Heart Disease Study13

ABSTRACT Intakes of alcohol and saturated fatty acids were determined through a dietary questionnaire from 1600 men (aged 49-66 y) in the Cacrphilly Prospective Heart Disease Study. Platelet aggregation induced by thrombin adenosinc diphosphate (ADP), and collagen was studied in subjects who had fasted and had not recently taken drugs affecting platelets. In subjects who drank alcohol, the odds ratio of a high response to aggregation was significantly reduced (primary ADP, P < 0.05; secondary ADP, P < 0.001; collagen, P < 0.02). The significance was en-hanced by adjusting for smoking and by including only the sub-jects with a high intake of saturated fatty acids or a low intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids. By contrast, the responsiveness to thrombin was slightly increased at all levels of alcohol con-sumption. We therefore suggest that part ofthe effects of alcohol on coronary heart disease may be mediated by a dose-dependent effect on certain platelet functions, modulated by the intake of dietary fat. Am J Clin Nuir l992;55:1012-l7. KEY WORDS Alcohol intake, saturated fatty acids, cohort study, platelet aggregatio