Significance of epicardial and intrathoracic adipose tissue volume among type 1 diabetes patients in the DCCT/EDIC: A pilot study

Author(s): Darabian, S; Backlund, JYC; Cleary, PA; Sheidaee, N; Bebu, I; Lachin, JM; Budoff, MJ; Nathan, DM; Zinman, B; Crofford, O; Genuth, S; Brown-Friday, J; Crandall, J; Engel, H; Engel, S; Martinez, H; Phillips, M; Reid, M; Shamoon, H; Sheindlin, J; Gubitosi-Klug, R; Mayer, L; Pendegast, S; Zegarra, H; Miller, D; Singerman, L; Smith-Brewer, S; Novak, M; Quin, J; Palmert, M; Brown, E; McConnell, J; Pugsley, P; Crawford, P; Dahms, W; Brillon, D; Lackaye, ME; Kiss, S; Chan, R; Orlin, A; Rubin, M; Reppucci, V; Lee, T; Heinemann, M; Chang, S; Levy, B; Jovanovic, L; Richardson, M; Bosco, B; Dwoskin, A; Hanna, R; Barron, S; Campbell, R; Bhan, A; Kruger, D; Jones, JK; Edwards, PA; Carey, JD; Angus, E; Thomas, A; Galprin, A; McLellan, M; Whitehouse, F; Bergenstal, R; Johnson, M; Gunyou, K; Thomas, L; Laechelt, J; Hollander, P; Spencer, M; Kendall, D; Cuddihy, R; Callahan, P; List, S; Gott, J; Rude, N; Olson, B; Franz, M; Castle, G; Birk, R; Nelson, J; Freking, D; Gill, L; Mestrezat, W; Etzwiler, D | Abstract: © 2016 Darabian et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Introduction: Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) patients are at increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). This pilot study sought to evaluate the relationship between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and intra-thoracic adipose tissue (IAT) volumes and cardio-metabolic risk factors in T1DM. Method: EAT/IAT volumes in 100 patients, underwent non-contrast cardiac computed tomography in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial /Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) study were measured by a certified reader. Fat was defined as pixels' density of -30 to -190 Hounsfield Unit. The associations were assessed using-Pearson partial correlation and linear regression models adjusted for gender and age with inverse probability sample weighting. Results: The weighted mean age was 43 years (range 32-57) and 53% were male. Adjusted for gender, Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant correlation between age and EAT/IAT volumes (both pl0.001). After adjusting for gender and age, participants with greater BMI, higher waist to hip ratio (WTH), higher weighted HbA1c, elevated triglyceride level, and a history of albumin excretion rate of equal or greater than 300 mg/d (AER≥300) or end stage renal disease (ESRD) had significantly larger EAT/IAT volumes. Conclusion: T1DM patients with greater BMI, WTH ratio, weighted HbA1c level, triglyceride level and AER≥300/ESRD had significantly larger EAT/IAT volumes. Larger sample size studies are recommended to evaluate independency.