Abnormalities in the plasminogen activator system have been implicated in the pathogenesis of arterial and cerebral thrombosis. In particular, elevated plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), and t-PA/PAI-1 complexes have been found to correlate with increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and/or stroke. Vascular fibrinolytic balance is, to a large part, determined by the competing effects of t-PA and PAI-1, and reflects a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The present collaboration focuses on the common hypothesis that the association between activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and atherothrombotic events derives from an interaction between the RAAS and the fibrinolytic system.