ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN EPICARDIAL FAT AND LEFT VENTRICULAR GEOMETRY IN YOUNG NON-OBESE HYPERTENSIVES

Abstract

Objective: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has been considered as a marker of cardiovascular risk. Previously association between the EAT volume with the insulin resistance index, metabolic parameters and emodelling parameters of the left heart was observed in young obese people with abdominal obesity. Aim: to evaluate the relations between epicardial adipose tissue thickness (EAT) with metabolic parameters and left ventricular geometry in young non-obese individuals with hypertension comparing to normotensive subjects. Design and method: 30 young non-obese subjects with untreated essential hypertension (HTN) diagnosed by office blood pressure (BP) measurements by Korotkoff method and/or ambulatory BP monitoring (ESH, 2018) were included as study group (mean age - 23 ± 3 yrs, 100% were male, mean BMI 26 ± 6 kg/m2, office SBP/DBP 138 [130; 171] / 74 [64; 97] mm Hg). The control group consisted of 20 healthy volunteers without HTN (mean age - 33 ± 6 yrs, 100% were male, mean BMI 26 ± 4 kg/m2, office SBP/DBP 126 [124; 128] / 70 [65; 75] mm Hg). The thickness and area of the epicardial fat were measured by CT-scan images with parasternal short axis view at basal, mid-ventricular and apical levels and horizontal long axis view directly surrounding the main coronary arteries Results: EAT thickness was higher in AH group comparing to healthy volunteers (7,42 [5,22; 11,01] vs 7,17 [4,67; 9,67] mm, p < 0.05) and EAT square was larger in study group comparing to control group (93,5 [60,3; 267.0] vs 88,7 [50,7; 126,6] mm2, p < 0.05). Correlations between EAT square and LDL-cholesterol (r = 0.53, p < 0,05), HDL-cholesterol (r = -0,51, p < 0,05), interventricular septum thickness of the left ventricle (r = 0.47, p < 0,05), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (r = 0.56, p < 0,05), relative wall thickness (r = 0.45, p < 0,05) were found in AH group. No significant correlations were found in the control group. Conclusions: The accumulation of EAT among patients with AH is larger than among people with normal blood pressure. Epicardial adipose tissue thickness as early marker of visceral obesity associated with left ventricular emodelling in young non-obese patients with essential hypertension.