Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the presence of a statistical association between epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and coronary artery disease (CAD) and between flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and CAD.
Methods: We measured the EFT and FMD in 64 subjects with suspected stable angina pectoris. The patients were separated into two groups according to their coronary angiography results: 34 patients with CAD and 30 patients with normal coronary arteries (NCA).
Results: EFT was significantly higher in the patients with CAD than the NCA group (6.43 ± 0.90 mm vs. 5.35 ± 0.75 mm, p<0.001) while FMD was significantly lower in the patients with CAD than those in the NCA group (6.41 ± 2.51% vs. 8.33 ± 3.45%, p=0.015). No significant correlation was found between EFT and FMD. After adjustment for EFT, FMD, age, sex, ejection fraction, glucose, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol through multivariate logistic regression analysis, EFT (odds ratio: 6.325, 95% confidence interval 2.289-17.476, p<0.001) and age (odds ratio: 1.093, 95% confidence interval 1.008-1.185, p=0.032) remained significant predictors of CAD. A cut-off value of EFT≥5.8mm predicted the presence of CAD with 77% sensitivity and 70% specificity.
Conclusion: An echocardiographic EFT assessment is independently associated with the presence of CAD. Thus, EFT may be helpful in cardiometabolic risk stratification and therapeutic interventions.
Keywords: Coronary artery disease; Epicardial fat thickness; Flow-mediated vasodilation.
Copyright © 2013 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.