Correlation between epicardial fat and cigarette smoking: CT imaging in patients with metabolic syndrome

• Published in: Scandinavian cardiovascular journal : SCJ Vol. 48; no. 5; pp. 317 - 322
• Main Authors: Monti, Manuel, Monti, Alessio, Murdolo, Giuseppe, Di Renzi, Paolo, Pirro, Maria Rosaria, Borgognoni, Francesco, Vincentelli, Giovanni Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa Healthcare 01.10.2014; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Adult; Body Fat Distribution; calcium score; Comorbidity; epicardial adipose tissue; Female; Humans; Male; Metabolic Syndrome - diagnostic imaging; Metabolic Syndrome - epidemiology; Multidetector Computed Tomography; Pericardium - metabolism; Retrospective Studies; smoke; Smoking - epidemiology; visceral adipose tissue; smoke; epicardial adipose tissue; calcium score; visceral adipose tissue
• ISSN: 1401-7431; 1651-2006; 1651-2006
• DOI: 10.3109/14017431.2014.942872

Abstract Background. The aim of our study was to assess the relationship between cigarette smoking and epicardial fat in a cohort of patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) at risk for coronary artery disease. Methods. We studied, in primary prevention, 54 subjects diagnosed with MetS. According to their smoking habits, the subjects were divided into two groups: smokers and non-smokers. Besides anthropometric characterization and screening laboratory tests, the subjects had a multidetector computerized tomography scan, which allowed epicardial fat quantification and calcium score (CS) evaluation. Results. Compared with non-smokers, smokers showed older age (61.6 ± 1.8 vs 56.8 ± 1.2 yrs; p < 0.05). Also, the smokers displayed increased epicardial fat volume (138 [123; 150] vs 101[79; 130] ml; p < 0.01) as well as higher CS (94 [3; 301.5] vs 0 [0;10.2]; p < 0.001), in comparison with non-smokers. Notably, CS was positively correlated with smoking habit (rs 0.469; p < 0.01), epicardial fat (rs 0.377; p < 0.01), age (rs 0.502; p < 0.001) and uric acid (rs 0.498; p < 0.01). Accordingly, the associations between both CS or epicardial fat and cigarette smoking were still maintained after adjustment for age (r 0.317; p < 0.05; r 0.427; p < 0.01). Finally, multiple regression analysis showed that smoke was the variable that best predicted CS (R2 0.131; β 0.362; p < 0.05) and epicardial fat (R2 0.177; β 0.453; p = 0.01). Conclusions. Our findings suggest that, in subjects with MetS, cigarette smoking is an independent predictor of increased epicardial fat volume and higher CS.