title: Relation of epicardial fat thickness with carotid intima-media thickness in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Aims. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness (EFT) with carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods and Results. A total of 139 patients with T2DM (mean age 54.3 ± 9.2 and 49.6% male) and 40 age and sex-matched control subjects were evaluated. Echocardiographic EFT and ultrasonographic CIMT were measured in all subjects. Patients with T2DM had significantly increased EFT and CIMT than those of the controls (6.0 ± 1.5 mm versus 4.42 ± 1.0 mm, P < 0.001 and 0.76 ± 0.17 mm versus 0.57 ± 0.14 mm, P < 0.001, resp.). EFT was correlated with CIMT, waist circumference, BMI, age, duration of T2DM, HbA1c in the type 2 diabetic patients. Linear regression analysis showed that CIMT (β = 3.52, t = 3.72, P < 0.001) and waist circumference (β = 0.36, t = 2.26, P = 0.03) were found to be independent predictors of EFT. A cutoff high risk EFT value of 6.3 mm showed a sensitivity and specificity of 72.5% and 71.7%, respectively, for the prediction of subclinical atherosclerosis. Conclusion. We found that echocardiographic EFT was significantly higher in patients with T2DM. Our study also showed that EFT was strongly correlated with waist circumference and CIMT as being independent of sex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Adiyaman University, 02000 Adiyaman, Turkey ; Adiyaman University Research Hospital, Kahta Street, 02000 Adiyaman, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cetin
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cakici
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.forename: Arif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suner
authors.forename: Cemil
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zencir
authors.forename: Idris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ardic