Abstract
Background
It is still unknown whether increased cardiac adiposity is related to the risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD). We measured epicaridal adopose tissue (EAT) and mediastinal adipose tissue (MAT) using echocardiography and examined their correlations with CAD and serum adiponectin.
Methods
One hundred fifty three patients who underwent elective coronary angiography for chest pain were measured cardiac adiposity by transthoracic echocardiography. The correlations of cardiac adipose tissue with the presence and severity of CAD and the serum adiponectin level were examined.
Results
EAT was thicker in patients with CAD (1.8±1.4 vs. 3.8±1.9 mm, p<0.001), but MAT was not different according to the presence of CAD (2.9±2.8 vs. 3.5±2.5 mm, p=0.121). EAT showed a significant positive correlation with age (r=0.225, p=0.005), homocystein (r=0.289, p=0.001), fasting glucose (r=0.167, p=0.042), and fibrinogen (r=0.218, p=0.009), and a significant negative correlation with serum adiponectin (r=-0.194, p=0.016). EAT thickness (OR 11.53, 95% CI; 3.61-36.84, p<0.001) and low serum adiponectin (OR 2.88, 95% CI; 1.02-8.15, p=0.046) were independent predictors of obstructive CAD. However, MAT thickness was not associated with CAD.
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Fig. 1.
Echocardiographic measurement of epicardial adipose tissue and mediastinal adipose tissue. EAT: epicardial adipose tissue, MAT: mediastinal adipose tissue.
![jcu-2009-17-4-121f1.tif](/upload/SynapseXML/0059jcu/thumb/jcu-2009-17-4-121f1.gif)
Fig. 2.
Correlation between serum adiponectin level and epicaridal adipose tissue according to gender. EAT: epicardial adipose tissue.
![jcu-2009-17-4-121f2.tif](/upload/SynapseXML/0059jcu/thumb/jcu-2009-17-4-121f2.gif)
Fig. 3.
Cardiac adipose tissue and serum adiponectin level according to the severity of coronary artery disease. *p<0.05.
![jcu-2009-17-4-121f3.tif](/upload/SynapseXML/0059jcu/thumb/jcu-2009-17-4-121f3.gif)
Table 1.
Baseline characteristics
Table 2.
Correlation between the cardiac adipose tissue thickness and clinical variables
Variables |
Epicardial adipose tissue |
Mediastinal adipose tissue |
Pericardial adipose tissue |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
r | p | r | p | r | p | |
Age | 0.225 | 0.005* | 0.099 | 0.224 | 0.210 | 0.009* |
BMI | 0.012 | 0.882 | 0.185 | 0.023† | 0.183 | 0.024† |
baPWV | 0.045 | 0.502 | -0.044 | 0.634 | 0.003 | 0.975 |
WBC count | 0.089 | 0.275 | -0.003 | 0.974 | 0.049 | 0.545 |
Total cholesterol | 0.125 | 0.124 | 0.075 | 0.354 | 0.126 | 0.120 |
HDL cholesterol | -0.146 | 0.072 | 0.066 | 0.417 | -0.024 | 0.769 |
Homocysteine | 0.289 | 0.001* | 0.025 | 0.769 | 0.221 | 0.015† |
Glucose | 0.167 | 0.042† | 0.011 | 0.895 | 0.112 | 0.172 |
hsCRP | 0.115 | 0.160 | 0.020 | 0.809 | 0.111 | 0.171 |
Fibrinogen | 0.218 | 0.009* | 0.057 | 0.497 | 0.203 | 0.015† |
Adiponectin | -0.194 | 0.016† | 0.107 | 0.188 | -0.025 | 0.762 |
Table 3.
Multiple regression analysis for prediction of the presence of significant coronary artery disease