CORRELATION OF EPICARDIAL FAT THICKNESS AND SEVERITY OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE AS ASSESSED BY SYNTAX SCORE ON CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between epicardial fat thickness and the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) as assessed by the Syntax score on coronary angiography. A total of 50 patients with stable ischemic heart disease and uncontrolled anginal symptoms, presenting at the Cardiac Centre, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, were included in this study. These patients underwent coronary angiography, and those diagnosed with CAD were enrolled. Trans-thoracic echocardiography was performed to measure epicardial fat thickness. CAD severity was quantified using the Syntax score. Demographic data and other relevant variables were recorded in a pre-designed proforma, and data analysis was carried out using SPSS. The mean age of the study population was 51.2±9.05 years, with 54% of the participants being female. The study revealed a positive correlation between epicardial adipose tissue and the severity of CAD as assessed by the Syntax score (r = 0.426, p-value 0.002). In conclusion, this study found a positive albeit weak correlation between epicardial fat thickness and the severity of CAD as determined by the Syntax score on coronary angiography. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential role of epicardial fat as a marker for CAD severity. Further research is warranted to explore this relationship in larger and more diverse patient populations and to establish its clinical implications.