title: Epicardial adipose tissue thickness in children and adolescents with cardiometabolic risk factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the relationship of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness with cardiometabolic risk factors (CRFs) in children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-seven subjects of both sexes aged 7-18 years were selected. Medical history, clinical parameters, and glucose, insulin, and lipid levels were collected. EAT thickness was measured using transthoracic echocardiography. Study subjects were divided into two groups based on whether they had less than two or two or more CRFs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The group with two or more CRFs had higher EAT thickness, insulin, and HOMA-IR values (P<.05). EAT thickness showed a statistically significant positive correlation with body mass index (BMI) (r=0.561, P=.0001), waist circumference (r=.549, P=.0001), systolic blood pressure (SBP) (r=.256, P=.028), insulin (r=0.408, P=.0001), and HOMA-IR (r=.325, P=.005). However, these correlations were not significant after adjustment for BMI. The cut-off point for EAT thickness as predictor of two or more CRFs was 3.17mm. The risk (odds ratio) of having two or more CRFs if EAT thickness was >3.17mm was 3.1 (95% CI: 1.174-8.022). BMI was the independent variable that most affected EAT thickness and the presence of two or more CRFs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this group of children and adolescents, the relationship of EAT thickness with CRFs was found to be dependent on BMI.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Endocrinología, Instituto Autónomo Hospital Universitario de los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Yubriangel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Endocrinología, Instituto Autónomo Hospital Universitario de los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela. Electronic address: paolimariela@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mariela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paoli
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Nutrición, Crecimiento y Desarrollo Infantil, Instituto Autónomo Hospital Universitario de los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Nolis
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Camacho
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Instituto Autónomo Hospital Universitario de los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Yudisay
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Instituto Autónomo Hospital Universitario de los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Justo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Santiago
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Universidad de Oriente, Núcleo Bolívar, Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Marcos M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lima-Martínez
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000293:Adolescent; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012307:Risk Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin
keywords: Cardiometabolic risk factors; Children and adolescents; Epicardial adipose tissue; Epicardial fat; Factores de riesgo cardiometabólico; Grasa epicárdica; Niños y adolescentes; Tejido adiposo epicárdico