title: Epicardial adipose tissue is related to cardiac function in elderly women, but not in men.
abstract: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is easily quantifiable visceral adipose tissue that is closely associated with cardiometabolic disease including heart failure with preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction. As body fat distribution and metabolism are different between men and women, we evaluated the sex difference in EAT thickness and its relationship to cardiac function.
  
  
  
  A total of 152 consecutive patients (76 men) with mean age of 62 ± 9 years were enrolled. Conventional echocardiography was performed and EAT thickness was measured perpendicularly on the right ventricular free wall at end systole. Mean EAT thickness in all patients was 6.5 ± 2.0 mm. EAT thickness was associated with patient age, body mass index, and the presence of hypertension. EAT thickness was not different by sex in patients younger than 60 years (men, 6.4 ± 2.0 mm; women, 6.2 ± 1.8 mm, p = 0.716); however, among patients aged 60 years or older, EAT thickness was significantly greater in women than men (men, 6.0 ± 1.7 mm; women 7.7 ± 2.1 mm, p < 0.001). LV function represented by E/e' and s' was significantly related to EAT thickness only in women (E/e', β = 0.330, p = 0.002; lateral s', β = -0.225, p = 0.042).
  
  
  
  EAT thickness was greater in women than men after 60 years old and its relationship with LV function was significant only in women. Greater increase in EAT thickness in elderly women after menopause might partially account for this difference.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Cheil General Hospital, Dankook university, College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Su-A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Mi-Na
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Wan-Joo
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: smparkmd@korea.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Seong-Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003971:Diastole; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010496:Pericardium; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D066106:Seoul / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013599:Systole; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
keywords: Adipose tissue; Cardiac function; Difference; Women