ASSOCIATION BETWEEN EPICARDIAL ADIPOSE TISSUE MEASURMENT BY TRANSTHORACIC ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY AND MULTISLICE COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IN PATIENTS WITH ABDOMINAL OBESITY

Abstract

Objective: To assess the correlation between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness, measured by echocardiography, and the EAT volume, measured by multislice computed tomography (MSCT), in patients with abdominal obesity.Design and method: The study included 68 patients (57.5% - men, 42.5% - women), mean age 37.25 ± 6.88 years with abdominal obesity (waist circumference > 80 cm in women and > 94 cm in men). EAT thickness was measured using transthoracic echocardiography (SystemFive, USA) on the free wall of the right ventricle from both parasternal long and short axis views at end systole and end diastole during three cardiac cycles. EAT volume, intraabdominal visceral adipose tissue volume and subcutaneous adipose tissue volume were measured by MSCT (ToshibaAquillion 640, Japan). Results: EAT volume was positively correlated with intraabdominal visceral adipose tissue volume (r = 0,59). Negative correlation was found between EAT volume and the ratio of subcutaneous adipose tissue to intraabdominal visceral adipose tissue (r = −0,39). EAT thickness at end systole was correlated with EAT volume by MSCT (r = 0,45). There was no correlation between EAT thickness at end diastole and EAT volume. Conclusions: These data suggested that EAT is strongly associated with intraabdominal visceral adipose tissue and could indicated visceral obesity. Echocardiographic measurement of EAT was showed a significant correlation with the MSCT EAT measurements. Echocardiography EAT thickness could be used as an easy and reliable imaging indicator of visceral obesity and cardiovascular risk assessment.