Key result
High-grade varicocele is associated with significantly decreased epicardial fat thickness compared to healthy controls (median 0.50 cm vs 0.51 cm, p=0.012), but not with aortic stiffness or flow-mediated dilatation.
Why the study?
High-grade varicoceles have been linked to endothelial dysfunction and increased vasoconstriction, but whether epicardial fat thickness, flow-mediated dilatation, and aortic stiffness are associated with varicocele remains unclear.
Is high-grade varicocele associated with changes in epicardial fat thickness, flow-mediated dilation, and aortic stiffness in young men?
Cross-Sectional (n=67)
Single-blind
No
Is high-grade varicocele associated with changes in epicardial fat thickness, flow-mediated dilation, and aortic stiffness in young men?
Absolute Event Rate: 0.5% vs 0.51%
p-value: p=0.012
High-grade varicocele in young men is associated with decreased epicardial fat thickness, suggesting a potential link between altered adipokine regulation and venous vascular abnormalities.
No immediate clinical implications for varicocele; leaves open vascular associations pending prospective validation.
BACKGROUND: Varicocele is abnormal dilation of testis veins. The precise mechanism of varicocele is not fully understood despite some hypothesis were suggested in the literature. Disequilibrium between constrictor and dilatator mechanism of the veins have been shown to cause varicocele. High-grade varicoceles have been also linked to endothelial dysfunction and increased vasoconstriction. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that epicardial fat thickness (EFT), flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and aortic stiffness (AS) could be associated with varicocele. In the present study, we aimed to compare vascular parameters such as FMD, EFT and AS in healthy subjects and high-grade varicocele patients. METHODS: The study population consisted of 35 men with high-grade varicocele and 32 age- and sex-matched control subjects younger than 45 years old. This is a cross-sectional study conducted at Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Hospital between May to October 2018. RESULTS: EFT, aortic diastolic diameters (AoDD) and EFT/BMI ratio were significantly higher in control group than in patients with high-grade (p=0.012, p=0.044, p=0.026, respectively). EFT and EFT /BMI ratio were significantly and inversely correlated with presence of varicocele (r=-0.422, p=0.009; r=-0.38, p=0.026, respectively). CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that high-grade varicocele may be associated with decreased echocardiographic EFT but not with aortic stiffness and FMD.
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Sıncer et al. (2020) conducted a cross-sectional in High-grade varicocele (n=67). High-grade varicocele vs. Healthy age-matched control subjects was evaluated on Epicardial fat thickness (EFT) in cm (p=0.012). High-grade varicocele is associated with significantly decreased epicardial fat thickness compared to healthy controls (median 0.50 cm vs 0.51 cm, p=0.012), but not with aortic stiffness or flow-mediated dilatation.
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