Epicardial fat, body mass index, and triglyceride are independent contributors of serum fibroblast growth factor 21 level in obese premenopausal women

Purpose The hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) regulates carbohydrate and lipid homeostasis. FGF-21 represents an attractive novel therapy for obesity since administration of FGF-21 has been shown to improve metabolic abnormalities in obese animal models. We investigated FGF-21 and its relationship with epicardial fat thickness (EFT), metabolic parameters, and inflammatory markers in premenopausal obese women compared to controls with similar Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) project risk profiles.