title: Pericardial fat, insulin resistance, and left ventricular structure and function in morbid obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Morbid obesity is often accompanied by insulin resistance and increased ectopic fat surrounding the heart. We evaluated the relation of epicardial and pericardial fat with insulin resistance and left ventricular (LV) structure and function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Epicardial and pericardial fat thicknesses were determined at 2-dimensional echocardiography in 80 morbid obese subjects [age 42 ± 12 years, 31% men, body mass index (BMI) 44.4 ± 7 kg/m(2)]. LV hypertrophy (LV mass ≥51 g/m(2.7)), inappropriately high LV mass for a given cardiac workload (observed vs predicted LV mass >128%), and stress-adjusted LV mid-wall fractional shortening were determined. Pericardial and epicardial fat thicknesses had direct associations with BMI (r = 0.40 and 0.45, both p < 0.01) and waist circumference (r = 0.37 and 0.45, both p < 0.01). Pericardial (partial r = 0.35, p < 0.01), but not epicardial fat thickness (partial r = 0.05, p = n.s.), was correlated with homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance after adjustment for BMI. Pericardial fat also had a strong negative correlation with mid-wall fractional shortening (p = 0.01) and a positive one with inappropriately high LV mass (p < 0.01), while no such relation was found for epicardial fat (both p = n.s.). Independently of age, male sex, BMI, and anti-hypertensive treatment, pericardial fat thickness had an independent positive association with inappropriately high LV mass (β = 0.29, p = 0.02), and a negative one with stress-adjusted mid-wall fractional shortening (β = -0.26, p = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pericardial fat thickness is associated with insulin resistance, inappropriately high LV mass, and LV systolic dysfunction in obese individuals. Findings from this study confirm the existence of a connection between insulin resistance, cardiac ectopic fat deposition and cardiac dysfunction in morbid obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy; Unit of Internal Medicine, Terni University Hospital, Terni, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy; Unit of Internal Medicine, Terni University Hospital, Terni, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Battista
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy; Unit of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Atherosclerosis, Perugia University Hospital, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Vuono
authors.affiliation: Unit of General Surgery, Foligno Hospital, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boni
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy; Unit of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Atherosclerosis, Perugia University Hospital, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scavizzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy; Unit of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Atherosclerosis, Perugia University Hospital, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy; Unit of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Atherosclerosis, Perugia University Hospital, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lupattelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy; Unit of Internal Medicine, Terni University Hospital, Terni, Italy. Electronic address: giuseppe.schillaci@unipg.it.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schillaci
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Echocardiography; Epicardial fat; Insulin resistance; Left ventricular hypertrophy; Mid-wall fractional shortening; Obesity; Pericardial fat