title: Relation of epicardial fat thickness to the severity of heart failure in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess whether epicardial fat thickness (EFT) is associated with the severity of heart failure in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NICMP).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group was composed of 93 patients with NICMP and38 age- and sex-matched healty individuals as the control group. The EFT was identified during end-systole at the point on the free wall of the right ventricle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with NICMP had significantly lower mean EFT than those in the control group (4.1 ± 0.8 vs. 6.1 ± 1.8 mm, P < 0.001). EFT was thinnest in patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV (3.5 ± 0.5, P < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between EFT, left ventricle EF (r = 0.540 P < 0.001), and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) (r = -0.695, P < 0.001) values in patients with NICMP. In addition, when EFT was corrected for BMI, EFT/BMI was lower in patients with NYHA functional class III-IV than patients with NYHA class I-II and control group (0.13 ± 0.01, 0.16 ± 0.02, 0.23 ± 0.04, respectively; P < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between EFT/BMI, left ventricle EF (r = 0.489, P < 0.001), and BNP (r = -0.549, P < 0.001) in patients with NICMP. In multivariate regression analysis, EFT (P = 0.009), BNP (P = 0.039), and left atrium volume index (P = 0.039) were independently associated with impaired functional status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Echocardiographic EFT is an inexpensive, simple, and readily available marker that may be used to asses the severity of chronic heart failure in patients with NICMP.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Kartal Koşuyolu Cardiovascular Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Mustafa
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Tabakci
authors.forename: Halil İbrahim
authors.initials: Hİ
authors.lastname: Durmuş
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avci
authors.forename: Cuneyt
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Toprak
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Uğur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Arslantaş
authors.forename: Sinan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cerşit
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fidan
authors.forename: Şeyhmus
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Kulahçioğlu
authors.forename: Ulaankhuu
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Batgerel
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kargin
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain
keywords: dilated cardiomyopathy; echocardiography; ejection fraction; heart failure