title: Epicardial adipose tissue assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to investigate the association of the EAT with CMR parameters of ventricular remodelling and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fifty subjects (112 consecutive patients with DCM and 48 healthy controls) underwent CMR examination. Function, volumes, dimensions, the LV remodelling index (LVRI), the presence of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and the amount of EAT were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to healthy controls, patients with DCM revealed a significantly reduced indexed EAT mass (31.7 ± 5.6 g/m(2) vs 24.0 ± 7.5 g/m(2) , p<0.0001). There was no difference in the EAT mass between DCM patients with moderate and severe LV dysfunction (23.5 ± 9.8 g/m(2) vs 24.2 ± 6.6 g/m(2) , P = 0.7). Linear regression analysis in DCM patients showed that with increasing LV end-diastolic mass index (LV-EDMI) (r = 0.417, P < 0.0001), increasing LV end-diastolic volume index (r = 0.251, P = 0.01) and increasing LV end-diastolic diameter (r = 0.220, P = 0.02), there was also a significantly increased amount of EAT mass. However, there was no correlation between the EAT and the LV ejection fraction (r = 0.0085, P = 0.37), right ventricular ejection fraction (r = 0.049, P = 0.6), LVRI (r = 0.116, P = 0.2) and the extent of LGE % (r = 0.189, P = 0.1). Among the healthy controls, the amount of EAT only correlated with increasing age (r = 0.461, P = 0.001), BMI (r = 0.426, P = 0.003) and LV-EDMI (r = 0.346, P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with DCM the amount of EAT is decreased compared to healthy controls irrespective of LV function impairment. However, an increase in LV mass and volumes is associated with a significantly increase in EAT in patients with DCM.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Medicine, University Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany. Christina.Doesch@umm.de
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doesch
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Streitner
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bellm
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suselbeck
authors.forename: Dariusch
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haghi
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Heggemann
authors.forename: Stefan O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Schoenberg
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Michaely
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borggrefe
authors.forename: Theano
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Papavassiliu
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000368:Aged; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000503:physiopathology; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D005682:Gadolinium