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Effects of epicardial adipose tissue volume and density on cardiac structure and function in patients free of coronary artery disease

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Abstract

Purpose

To determine the association of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and density with cardiac geometry and function.

Methods

We included 178 consecutive patients who performed coronary computed tomography angiography but were not diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD). The EAT volume, density, and following cardiac structure and function parameters were measured: left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular mass (LVM), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular stroke volume (LVSV), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), interventricular septal thickness (IVST) and posterior wall thickness (PWT). All the parameters were standardized using the height2.7.

Results

A significant correlation was found between larger EAT volume and increased LVM, LVEDV, LVESV, LVSV, LVEDD, IVST and corresponding standardized indexes (P < 0.05 for all). Higher EAT density significantly correlated with increased LVM, LVEDV, LVESV, LVSV, LVEDD, IVST, PWT and corresponding standardized indexes (P < 0.05 for all). The largest cardiac structure and function parameters were observed in the population with above-median EAT volume and density.

Conclusion

Both large EAT volume and high EAT density were associated with cardiac structure and function in patients with no CAD. The EAT density may render complementary information to EAT volume regarding cardiac geometry changes.

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Funding

This study was not funded by any institution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, No. 6 HaiErXiang (North) Road, Chongchuan District, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China

    Yang Lu, Tianle Wang, Rui Zhan, Xiaoyu Wang, Xiwu Ruan, Rongxing Qi & Sheng Huang

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  1. Yang Lu
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  2. Tianle Wang
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  3. Rui Zhan
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  4. Xiaoyu Wang
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  5. Xiwu Ruan
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  6. Rongxing Qi
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  7. Sheng Huang
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Correspondence to Rongxing Qi or Sheng Huang.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical statement

The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of Nantong University. All the patients gave written informed consents. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Lu, Y., Wang, T., Zhan, R. et al. Effects of epicardial adipose tissue volume and density on cardiac structure and function in patients free of coronary artery disease. Jpn J Radiol 38, 666–675 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-020-00951-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-020-00951-3

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