1.
Epicardial Fat in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Properties and Relationships With Metabolic Factors, Cardiac Structure, and Cardiac Function.
Psychari, SN, Rekleiti, N, Papaioannou, N, Varhalama, E, Drakoulis, C, Apostolou, TS, Iliodromitis, EK
Angiology. 2016;(1):41-8
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely related to insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome and might be an important cardiovascular (CV) risk factor. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity-related CV disease. In an NAFLD population, we investigated EAT thickness and its possible relations to NAFLD and cardiac structure and function. This was an observational study of 57 patients with NAFLD and 48 age-matched controls. Patients with NAFLD had significantly higher body mass index (P < .0001), waist circumference (P < .0001), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (P = .005), whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = .01) and adiponectin (P = .005) levels were significantly lower. The EAT was not thicker in NAFLD but was positively related to indices of impaired glucose tolerance and inflammation, with diabetes being an independent predictor of EAT thickness (b* = 0.29, P = .04). No relations were found between EAT and cardiac structure and function. In conclusion, this study confirms a pathologic phenotype of NAFLD. Epicardial fat was not significantly related to NAFLD per se, but diabetes, glucose metabolism, and inflammation were closely related to its thickness.
2.
Epicardial adipose tissue thickness and its association with adiponectin in metabolic syndrome patients from Mérida, Venezuela.
Lima-Martínez, MM, López-Mendez, G, Odreman, R, Donis, JH, Paoli, M
Arquivos brasileiros de endocrinologia e metabologia. 2014;(4):352-61
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study the relationship between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness and plasma levels of adiponectin in Venezuelan patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Thirty-one patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome (study group) and 27 controls were selected and tested for glycemia, lipids, and adiponectin. EAT thickness, ejection fraction, diastolic function, left ventricular mass (LVM), and left atrial volume (LAV) were determined by transthoracic echocardiography. RESULTS EAT thickness was greater in metabolic syndrome patients (5.69 ± 1.12 vs. 3.52 ± 0.80 mm; p = 0.0001), correlating positively with body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.661; p = 0.0001); waist circumference (WC) (r = 0.664; p = 0.0001); systolic (SBP) (r = 0.607; p = 0.0001), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (r = 0.447; p = 0.0001); insulin (r = 0.505; p = 0.0001); Tg/HDL-C ratio (r = 0.447; p = 0.0001), non-HDL-C (r = 0.353; p = 0.007); LAV (r = 0.432; p = 0.001), and LVM (r = 0.469; p = 0.0001). EAT thickness correlated negatively with adiponectin (r = -0.499; p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION A significant association exists between EAT thickness and both metabolic syndrome components and adiponectin concentration, a link that might be used as a biomarker for this disease.
3.
[Cut-off point of epicardial adipose tissue thickness for predicting metabolic syndrome in Venezuelan population].
Lima-Martínez, MM, Paoli, M, Donis, JH, Odreman, R, Torres, C, Iacobellis, G
Endocrinologia y nutricion : organo de la Sociedad Espanola de Endocrinologia y Nutricion. 2013;(10):570-6
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To define an echocardiographically-assessed cut-off point for epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness associated to metabolic syndrome (MS) components in Venezuelan subjects. METHODS Fifty-two subjects aged 20-65 years diagnosed with MS according to International Diabetes Federation criteria and 45 sex- and age-matched controls were selected. Blood glucose and plasma lipids were tested; EAT thickness and left ventricular mass were measured by echocardiography. RESULTS No significant age and sex differences were found between the two groups. Body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher (P=.0001) in the MS group. This group showed significantly higher levels of fasting blood glucose (P=.0001), total cholesterol (P=.002), LDL-C (P=.007), non-HDL-C (P=.0001), triglycerides (P=.0001), Tg-HDL-C ratio (P=.0001), and lower HDL-C levels (P=.0001) as compared to the control group. EAT thickness (P=.0001) and left ventricular mass (P=.017) were significantly higher in the MS group. The ROC curve showed an AUC of 0.852 (P=.0001) with a power of the test of 0.99. A 5-mm EAT thickness showed a sensitivity of 84.62% (95%CI: 71.9-93.1) and a specificity of 71.11% (95%CI: 55.7-83.6) for predicting MS. The odds ratio of this population for experiencing MS due to an EAT ≥ 5 mm was 8.25 (95%CI: 3.15-21.56; P=.0001). CONCLUSION An EAT value ≥ 5 mm has good sensitivity and specificity for predicting MS in the Venezuelan population.