Echocardiographic Epicardial Adipose Tissue Is Related to Anthropometric and Clinical Parameters of Metabolic Syndrome: A New Indicator of Cardiovascular Risk

TLDR

Metabolic syndrome is linked to multiple cardiovascular risk factors, with visceral adipose tissue playing a key role, and easy detection of VAT could enhance understanding of the syndrome. The study aimed to examine how echocardiographic epicardial adipose tissue correlates with anthropometric and clinical parameters of metabolic syndrome. Eighty‑two subjects aged 46.5 ± 17.4 yr with BMI 22–47 kg/m² underwent transthoracic echocardiography to measure epicardial fat thickness and MRI to quantify visceral adipose tissue, alongside anthropometric, metabolic, and cardiac assessments. Epicardial adipose tissue measured by echocardiography correlated strongly with MRI‑derived visceral adipose tissue and was independently associated with waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, and fasting insulin, indicating it could serve as an easy, reliable imaging marker of VAT and cardiovascular risk.

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome is related to multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) plays a key role in metabolic syndrome. Easy detection of VAT could be an important tool to increase knowledge of metabolic syndrome. The objective of this study was to study the relationship of echocardiographic epicardial adipose tissue to anthropometric and clinical parameters of metabolic syndrome. We selected 72 consecutive subjects, 46.5 +/- 17.4 yr of age, with a body mass index between 22 and 47 kg/m(2). Each subject underwent transthoracic echocardiogram to measure epicardial fat thickness on right ventricle and magnetic resonance imaging to calculate visceral adipose tissue. Anthropometric, metabolic, and cardiac parameters were also evaluated. Echocardiographic epicardial adipose tissue showed a very good correlation with magnetic resonance imaging abdominal VAT and epicardial fat measurement (Bland-Altman plot and linear regression). Multiple regression analysis showed that waist circumference (r(2) = 0.428; P = 0.01), diastolic blood pressure (r(2) = 0. 387; P = 0.02), and fasting insulin (r(2) = 0.387; P = 0.03) were the strongest independent variables correlated with epicardial adipose tissue. Echocardiographic epicardial adipose tissue could be applied as an easy and reliable imaging indicator of VAT and cardiovascular risk.