Key result
Increased epicardial fat thickness (≥ 6 mm) in healthy women was significantly associated with increased left atrial volume index (52.6 vs. 41.2, p=0.001) and left ventricular mass index.
Why the study?
Does increased epicardial fat thickness correlate with cardiac structural and functional changes in healthy women?
Cross-Sectional (n=96)
Single-blind (observer blinded to clinical data)
No
Does increased epicardial fat thickness correlate with cardiac structural and functional changes in healthy women?
Absolute Event Rate: 52.6% vs 41.2%
p-value: p=0.001
Increased epicardial fat thickness in healthy women is associated with subclinical cardiac structural and functional changes, as well as markers of metabolic syndrome.
Does not support immediate clinical action; leaves open whether epicardial fat thickness predicts outcomes or is a modifiable target in women.
Epicardial fat tissue is a visceral fat depot with anatomical and functional contiguity to the myocardium and coronary arteries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and cardiac changes in healthy female subjects. The study population consisted of ninety-six consecutive healthy female (mean age 31.1 ± 6.7 years) who underwent transthoracic echocardiography. EFT was measured by echocardiography. Subjects were divided into two groups according to the EFT; EFT < 6 mm and EFT ≥ 6 mm. The cardiac structural changes, increased left atrial volume indices (LAVI) (41.2 ± 9.9 vs. 52.6 ± 12.5, p = 0.001) and left ventricular mass indices (LVMI) (129.6 ± 32.1 vs. 155.6 ± 31.6 p < 0.05), were observed in patients with increased EFT. Myocardial tei index (MTI), which was used to evaluate both systolic and diastolic functions, was higher with increased EFT (0.44 ± 0.07 vs. 0.48 ± 0.08, p = 0.02). The correlation analysis revealed significant correlation between EFT and each of LAVI (r = 0.312, p = 0.002), LVMI (r = 0.301, p = 0.003), body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.8, p < 0.001), and MTI (r = 0.27, p = 0.005). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that EFT was associated with BMI (t = 5.28, p = 0.001), MTI (r = 2.39, p = 0.019), LVMI (r = 2.16, p = 0.01), and LAVI (r = 3.21, p = 0.002). In conclusion, EFT is an important predictor of cardiac alterations in women who are prone to obesity.
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Kılıçaslan et al. (2012) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy (n=96). Increased epicardial fat thickness (≥ 6 mm) vs. Normal epicardial fat thickness (< 6 mm) was evaluated on Left atrial volume index (LAVI) (p=0.001). Increased epicardial fat thickness (≥ 6 mm) in healthy women was significantly associated with increased left atrial volume index (52.6 vs. 41.2, p=0.001) and left ventricular mass index.
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