title: Race and epicardial fat: the impact of anthropometric measurements, percent body fat and sex.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epicardial fat is known to be thicker in White men than in Black men. The impact of sex, % body fat, and other anthropometric measures on epicardial fat thickness has not been described. Therefore we sought to evaluate how the racial differences in epicardial fat thickness would differ by these factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography to measure the epicardial fat thickness in 150 patients who were admitted to our clinical decision unit for chest pain. Standard anthropometric measurements were performed and body mass index (BMI) and % body fat were calculated. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and multiple regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Epicardial fat measured at the mid right ventricular wall was significantly greater in Whites than Blacks (4.9 +/- 2.1 mm vs 3.8 +/- 1.8 mm, for males, and 5.8 +/- 3.2 mm vs 3.7 +/- 1.7 mm, for females). The results from regression analysis showed that after controlling for age, sex, BMI and waist circumference, race remained a significant predictor of epicardial fat, with Whites having higher amounts of fat than Blacks. The difference by race remained even after controlling for % body fat, which was also a significant predictor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anterior epicardial fat thickness is greater in White than Black men and women of the same race and is independent of anthropometric measurements and % body fat. Race may be an important consideration when analyzing the relationship between epicardial fat and cardiovascular risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, St. John Hospital and Medical Center, St. John Providence Health System, Detroit, Michigan 48236, USA. sule.salami@stjohn.org
authors.forename: Sule Steve
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Salami
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tucciarone
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bess
authors.forename: Anuradha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kolluru
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Szpunar
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rosman
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000208:ethnology*; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D044383:Black People; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference; D044465:White People