Epicardial adipose tissue is an independent predictor of coronary atherosclerotic burden

Abstract Introduction Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) may play an active role in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this work was to study the relations between EAT, abdominal visceral fat (AVF), and coronary atherosclerotic burden as assessed by multislice computed tomography (MSCT). Population and methods Two hundred fifteen patients without known CAD referred to 64-SCT during a 6-months period were included. All patients underwent a standardized protocol including quantification of AVF, EAT, coronary artery calcification (CAC), and coronary angiography by MSCT. Results Two hundred fifteen patients, with mean age of 58±11years, in which 61% were males, with mean body mass index (BMI) of 28±4kg/m 2 were included. EAT volume was directly associated with male sex, age, BMI, abdominal circumference, AVF, number of coronary segments with atherosclerotic plaques ( p p p Conclusion EAT volume positively relates to coronary atherosclerotic burden, as assessed by CAC; this correlation was shown to be independent of AVF.