title: Epicardial adipose tissue radiodensity is independently related to coronary atherosclerosis. A multidetector computed tomography study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preliminary research indicates that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) may display both anti- and proatherosclerotic properties. Because the varying radiodensities of selected human tissues assessed by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) has been shown to reflect differences in biological characteristics, the present study investigated the hypothesis that the proatherosclerotic properties of EAT may be linked to its radiodensity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 164 consecutive patients (82 females, mean age 58.8±11.1 years) with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing MDCT coronary angiography. Coronary atherosclerosis was defined as: (1) CAD (ie, presence of at least 1 coronary stenosis ≥50%) and (2) coronary artery calcium (CAC) determined by Agatston score. EAT radiodensity was assessed by MDCT and averaged 81.00±4.64 HU (Hounsfield unit (HU) scale). Mean CAC score was 96.0±220.0. Patients with CAD (n=36) showed higher EAT radiodensity than patients without CAD (78.99±4.12 vs. -81.57±4.64 HU, P<0.01). In the multivariable model, only EAT radiodensity and age were independently associated with CAD (odds ratio (OR) 1.15, 95%confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.28; OR 1.08, 95%CI 1.04-1.12; respectively). EAT radiodensity also correlated with CAC score (r=0.23, P<0.01). EAT radiodensity (P<0.001), age (P<0.001), sex (P=0.03), and past smoking (P<0.01) were independent correlates of CAC in the multivariable linear regression model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased EAT radiodensity is independently associated with coronary atherosclerosis, which may reflect the unfavorable, proatherosclerotic metabolic properties of more radiodense epicardial fat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Coronary Artery Disease and Structural Heart Diseases, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland. radekpracon@yahoo.pl
authors.forename: Radoslaw
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pracon
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kruk
authors.forename: Cezary
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kepka
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pregowski
authors.forename: Maksymilian P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Opolski
authors.forename: Zofia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dzielinska
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Michalowska
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chmielak
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Demkow
authors.forename: Witold
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ruzyłło
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis; D015897:Comorbidity; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium