title: Evaluation of epicardial adipose tissue, carotid intima-media thickness and ventricular functions in obese children and adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Childhood obesity is a cardiovascular risk factor.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and cardiac functions of obese children and their correlations were evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred obese children and 150 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anthropometric, laboratory data and echocardiographic measurements of IMT, EAT and cardiac functions were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased M-mode echocardiographic measurements, E/e' ratios, Tei index values and decreased E/A and e'/a' ratios (where E and A are early and late mitral/tricuspid diastolic velocities, respectively, and e' and a' are peak early diastolic and peak atrial systolic myocardial velocities, respectively), were determined in the obese group. Also, carotid artery IMT and EAT thickness were significantly higher in obese children. Carotid artery IMT, EAT thickness and left ventricular mass (LVM) were found to be strongly associated with Tei index values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In our study, we showed that obese children have early subclinical systolic and diastolic dysfunctions. Also, these cardiac impairments are correlated with the increase in IMT, EAT thickness and LVM.
authors.forename: Hayrullah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alp
authors.forename: Beray Selver
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Eklioğlu
authors.forename: Mehmet Emre
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Atabek
authors.forename: Sevim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karaarslan
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baysal
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Altın
authors.forename: Zehra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Karataş
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sap
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000293:Adolescent; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*