Can phenytoin lower plasma fibrinogen concentrations?
Author(s): Goerdt C, Rubins HB, Swaim W, Folsom A Affiliation(s): Section of General Internal Medicine, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, USA. Publication date & source: 1995-08-01, Thromb Res., 79(3):231-6. Publication type: Clinical Trial; Randomized Controlled Trial A strong, independent and positive association between plasma fibrinogen concentrations and cardiovascular disease has been established. To determine if phenytoin lowers fibrinogen levels we measured plasma fibrinogen levels in a subset of participants enrolled in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. Participants received placebo or 100 mg, 200 mg, or 300 mg/day of phenytoin for 14 weeks. Fifty-six subjects had post-treatment and 20 had pre- and post-treatment fibrinogen measurements. The phenytoin-treated subjects with post-treatment measurements had a 0.24 g/l (8%) reduction in mean fibrinogen levels compared to placebo (p = 0.3). Phenytoin may be capable of producing meaningfu
