Xanthelasma Is Associated with an Increased Amount of Epicardial Adipose Tissue.
OBJECTIVE
In the present study, we aimed to compare the amount of epicardial adipose tissue in subjects with and without xanthelasma.


METHODS
Fifty-two subjects with xanthelasma and 52 age- and gender-matched control subjects were enrolled in this study. Epicardial adipose tissue was assessed by measuring epicardial fat thickness (EFT) with echocardiography. Participants were dichotomized according to median EFT, which was 4 mm. The group with EFT >4 mm was defined as the supramedian group. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated by weight (kilograms) divided by height (meters) squared. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to find independent factors associated with supramedian EFT (>4 mm).


RESULTS
Subjects with xanthelasma had higher BMI (31.2 ± 5.6 vs. 28.6 ± 5.7, p = 0.01) and higher levels of total cholesterol (216 ± 54 vs. 181 ± 42 mg/dl, p < 0.001), LDL cholesterol (142 ± 45 vs. 115 ± 36 mg/dl, p = 0.003) and triglycerides (median, 154 vs. 101 mg/dl, p = 0.01) than control subjects. EFT was significantly higher in subjects with xanthelasma than in controls (5.04 ± 2.02 vs. 3.81 ± 2.03 mm, p = 0.002). In the conditional logistic regression analysis, the presence of xanthelasma (OR, 3.55; 95% CI, 1.43-8.78, p = 0.006) and lower HDL cholesterol level (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.92-0.99, p = 0.023) were independently associated with supramedian EFT.


CONCLUSIONS
The amount of epicardial adipose tissue found in subjects with xanthelasma was higher than in subjects without xanthelasma. In addition, the presence of xanthelasma was independently associated with supramedian EFT.
Department of Cardiology, Akx00E7;aabat Hax00E7;kalx0131; Baba State Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey.
Ali Rıza
AR
Akyüz
Mustafa Tarık
MT
Ağaç
Turhan
T
Turan
Sinan
S
Şahin
Selim
S
Kul
Levent
L
Korkmaz
Musluhittin Emre
ME
Erkuş
Hakan
H
Erkan
Şükrü
Ş
Çelik
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010496:Pericardium / Q000473:pathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014973:Xanthomatosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*