Aim: To evaluate EAT thickness in STEMI patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and its associations with body mass index (BMI), blood lipids and acute left ventricular dysfunction.
Introduction: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), located between the myocardium and visceral layer of pericardium is an emerging risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases.
Methods: The retrospective study consisted of patients hospitalised for STEMI treated with PCI from 2014 to 2016. EAT thickness was measured from the parasternal long-axis view at end-diastole. Cholesterol levels were determined in a blood sample. According to median patients were divided in two groups: thin EAT group (<2.27mm, n=270) and thick EAT group (≥2.27mm, n=223). Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS using Mann–Whitney test, T-test, logistic regression analysis. Values of cholesterol levels were evaluated by ROC curves. p<0.05 was significant.
Results: Total 492 patients (332 males, 66.62±12.24 year-old) were enrolled. Groups did not differ by age, gender, morbidity of diabetes mellitus and triglyceride levels. Patients had higher BMI (29.41±4.97 vs. 28.13±4.67kg/m2, p=0.009), total cholesterol (>4.82mmol/l: 35.2 vs. 26.4%, p=0.024), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (>2.5mmol/l: 45.8 vs. 33.3%, p=0.004) and reduced high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels (≤1mmol/l: 24.4 vs. 10.4%, p=0.009) in thick EAT group. Logistic regression analysis revealed that higher BMI (OR=1.532, 95% CI 1.008–2.328, p=0.002) and HDL-C ≤1mmol/l (OR=1.777, 95% CI 1.159–2.724, p=0.008) were associated with thicker EAT. Killip class ≥III was more frequent (17.6 vs. 10.3%, p=0.02) in thick than thin EAT group.
Conclusion: Increased EAT thickness was associated with obesity, cardiometabolic risk factors and influenced severity of left ventricular dysfunction.