title: Echocardiographic epicardial adipose tissue predicts subclinical atherosclerosis: epicardial adipose tissue and atherosclerosis.
abstract: We examined the relationship between coronary flow rate and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in patients with slow coronary flow (SCF) and normal coronary arteries. The study included 40 consecutive patients with stable angina pectoris who had normal coronary arteries. All patients underwent echocardiography. To determine the SCF, thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count method was used. Half of the patients had SCF at least in 1 coronary artery. Thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame counts, the mean TIMI frame count, and EAT thickness were significantly higher in patients with SCF. Slow coronary flow showed a significantly positive correlation with EAT thickness. Epicardial adipose tissue thickness was the only independent predictor of SCF. Our findings suggest that there is a significant correlation between the SCF and EAT. Therefore, echocardiographic EAT may become a predictor of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with stable angina pectoris.
authors.affiliation: Vezirkopru State Hospital, Cardiology Clinic, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nuri
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Comert
authors.forename: Oguzhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yucel
authors.forename: Meltem Refiker
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ege
authors.forename: Baris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yaylak
authors.forename: Guney
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Erdogan
authors.forename: Mehmet Birhan
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D060050:Angina, Stable / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology