title: Epicardial fat thickness in stable coronary artery disease: its relationship with high-sensitive cardiac troponin T and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epicardial adipose tissue is related to coronary atherosclerosis, left ventricle hypertrophy, myocardial dysfunction, cardiomyopathy, and inflammation, which produces a variety of cytokines that influence key pathogenic mechanisms of atherogenesis. The main goal of this study is to examine the relationship between epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and cardiovascular risk markers as well as the complexity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with stable CAD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively included 439 stable CAD patients undergoing coronary angiography in the present study (mean age: 62.2±10.7 years). Patients were divided into two groups (EFTlow and EFThigh groups) according to their median EFT values. EFT was evaluated by two-dimensional echocardiography before angiography. The SYNTAX score was calculated in all patients. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), uric acid, and other biochemical markers were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age, SYNTAX score, frequencies of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension, NT-proBNP, hs-CRP, hs-cTnT, and uric acid levels were higher in EFThigh group compared with the EFTlow group (P<0.05 for all). EFT was associated independently with age (β=-0.102, P=0.001), diabetes (β=-0.083, P=0.011), SYNTAX score (β=0.352, P<0.001), hs-CRP level (β=0.217, P<0.001), hs-cTnT level (β=0.197, P<0.001), and NT-proBNP level (β=0.300, P<0.001) in multivariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EFT obtained by echocardiograpy may not only be an easy tool but also an important tool for early detection of increased cardiac risk as well as the extent and complexity of CAD in patients with stable CAD.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Kafkas University, Kars bDepartment of Cardiology, Adana Numune Training and Research Hospital, Adana cDepartment of Internal Medicine, Mersin State Hospital, Mersin, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdurrezzak
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Börekçi
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gür
authors.forename: Betül
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Özaltun
authors.forename: Ahmet Oytun
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Baykan
authors.forename: Hazar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Harbalioğlu
authors.forename: Taner
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seker
authors.forename: Ömer
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: Armağan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Acele
authors.forename: Mehmet Yavuz
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Gözükara
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kuloğlu
authors.forename: Mevlüt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koç
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Çayli
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020107:Troponin T / Q000097:blood*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C545568:TNNT2 protein, human; D020107:Troponin T; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain