Subcutaneous fat thickness, but not epicardial fat thickness, parallels weight reduction three months after bariatric surgery: A cardiac magnetic resonance study

Abstract

with no significant change in CTR group weight (BMI: 27.2 ± 4.5 kg/m 2 to 27.0 ± 4.7 kg/m 2 ; �0.9 ± 1.4% of body mass; p = 0.06). The absolute and relative changes in fat thicknesses in the BS group were SUBFAT = � 10.1 ±4 .7 mm; 31 ±1 4% (pb 0.001), PARAFAT = �0.7 ± 1.4 mm; 4 ± 11% (p = 0.1), and EPIFAT = +0.2 ± 0.9 mm; �4 ± 11%(p = 0.2),whiletheCTRgroupshowednosignificantchange in any fat component (all p N 0.1). Importantly, there was a significant association between the relative changes inweight (Fig. 2) and SUBFAT (r 2 = 0.52; p = 0.008) and with PARAFAT (r 2 = 0.41; p = 0.02), but not with EPIFAT (r 2 = 0.05; p = 0.5) in the BS group, partially mirroring the baseline associations. These data demonstrate a close relationship between thoracic subcutaneous fat thickness and body weight, with an association that parallels the short term reductions in body weight seen, while epicardial fat thickness did not showan associationwith BMI, or with body weight change. Moreover, the paracardial fat, which might share abdominal visceral fat characteristics, showed an intermediate behavior compared to the other two fat components. Our findings suggest that epicardial fat may have a more subtle or delayed response to weight reduction than that seen in subcutaneous fat.