Appendix A

Increased levels of plasma fibrinogen predict total mortal- ity in CHS [35] as well other cohort studies of older adults [36]. Nonetheless, we and others did not observe an associ-  ation with longevity for the -fibrinogen promoter polymor- phism. The negative findings may reflect the relatively small portion of the overall variance in fibrinogen level explained − by the 455 G/A polymorphism [37].

Steering committee chairman: Curt D. Furberg, MD PhD, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. NHLBI project office: Jean Olson, MD MPH.

L. Burke, MD. Wake Forest University—ECG Reading Center: Ronald Prineas, MD PhD. University of Califor- nia, Davis: John Robbins, MD MHS. The Johns Hop- kins University: Linda P. Fried, MD MPH. The Johns Hopkins University—MRI Reading Center: David Yousem, MD MBA. University of Pittsburgh: Lewis H. Kuller, MD DrPH. University of California, Irvine—Echocardiography Reading Center (baseline): Julius M. Gardin, MD. George- town Medical Center—Echocardiography Reading Center (follow-up): John S. Gottdiener, MD. New England Medi- cal Center, Boston—Ultrasound Reading Center: Daniel H. O’Leary, MD. University of Vermont—Central Blood Analy- sis Laboratory: Russell P. Tracy, PhD. University of Arizona, Tucson—Pulmonary Reading Center: Paul Enright, MD. Retinal Reading Center—University of Wisconsin: Ronald Klein, MD. University of Washington—Coordinating Cen- ter: Richard A. Kronmal, PhD.

Increased plasma IL-6 levels have been associated with age-related morbidity and all-cause mortality in older adults. − In older men, the IL-6 promoter 174 G/G genotype was as- sociated with increased IL-6 levels and decreased longevity [4,38]. Other case–control studies of long-lived individuals reported conflicting results [39,40]. Overall, we observed a non-significant trend toward increased longevity associated − with the IL-6 174 C allele. The possible interaction of anti- − inflammatory drugs and interleukin-6 174 C/C genotype on mortality and years of healthy life should be interpreted cautiously. These data were derived from exploratory anal- yses uncorrected for multiple comparisons. Nonetheless, a − similar interaction between statins and interleukin-6 174 C/C in reducing cardiovascular risk has been reported [41]. The C/C genotype is associated with higher plasma levels of

A.P. Reiner et al. / Atherosclerosis 181 (2005) 175–183

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