Correlation of Epicardial Fat Thickness with Angiographic Severity and LDL Cholesterol Level in CAD

Abstract

Background: Epicardial fat is independently related to coronary artery disease (CAD). Clinical imaging research has established a robust direct correlation between epicardial fat and abdominal visceral adiposity. This study aimed to assess the association of epicardial fat thickness (EFT) with CAD in patients. Objective: To find the association between EFT, Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, and angiographic severity by SYNTAX score. Methods: This prospective observational study involved 321 patients with suspected CAD patients undergoing catheter coronary angiography. Epicardial fat thickness was measured by means of transthoracic echocardiography within 90 days after coronary angiography. The severity of coronary atherosclerotic lesions become evaluated from at least 3 projections in all of the sufferers. The angiographic characteristics of the coronary atherosclerotic lesion have been defined using the SYNTAX score. Results: 321 patients took part in this study; the sex distribution has 259 male subjects (80.7%) and 62 female subjects (19.3%). LDL cholesterol levels <100 mg/dl are present in 75.1% (241 subjects) of the study population. The categories and variables were analyzed, and they show a significant correlation between epicardial fat thickness and SYNTAX score with a p-value of <0.0001. A significant correlation has been observed between LDL cholesterol levels and the angiographic severity of CAD by the SYNTAX score. Conclusion: This study suggests that there is a significant correlation between LDL cholesterol levels, EFT and angiographic severity, and complexity of the coronary lesions by the SYNTAX score. Keywords: Body Fat; Coronary Artery Disease; Epicardial Fat Thickness; CAD