title: [Relation between epicardial adipose tissue thickness and blood pressure levels in prehypertension].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increased epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Previous studies have demonstrated that EAT thickness is increased in patients with hypertension compared with normotensive individuals. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate whether echocardiographically measured EAT thickness differs among patients with normotension, prehypertension, hypertension, and the relation between EAT thickness and blood pressure levels in prehypertensives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with prehypertension (n=50) and hypertension (n=50) and normotensive healthy subjects (n=50) according to the American Hypertension Guidelines (Joint National Committee 7) were enrolled in the study. All participants underwent transthoracic echocardiographic examination. EAT thickness was measured from the parasternal long-axis view at end-systole.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with normotensives, EAT thickness was significantly increased in subjects with prehypertension and hypertension (4.1±1.1 mm, 5.4±1.3 mm and 6.6±1.5 mm, respectively, p<0.001). After adjustment for confounding factors like age, gender, high-density lipoprotein, waist circumference, and body mass index, EAT thickness in the normotensive, prehypertensive and hypertensive groups was measured as 4.3±1.2 mm, 5.3±1.2 mm and 6.4±1.4 mm, respectively (p=0.001). In the prehypertensive group, multivariable linear regression analysis showed that EAT thickness was positively correlated with both systolic (r=0.305, p=0.001) and diastolic (r=0.297, p=0.001) blood pressures, independent of other risk factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to hypertensive subjects, echocardiographically measured EAT thickness is increased in prehypertensive patients when compared with normotensive subjects, independent of other factors. Additionally, increased EAT thickness is significantly correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels in patients with prehypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. osmanturak@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Turak
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fırat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Özcan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Uğur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Canpolat
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mendi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Öksüz
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özcan
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Özeke
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Derya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tok
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kumral
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Çağlı
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Dursun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aras
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sinan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aydoğdu
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology