Background: The association of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and coronary artery calcification (CAC) seems to differ by gender. However, few studies have controlled for body size, and the ideal method for body size indexing has not been explored.
Objectives: To analyse the effect of gender related-body size and-body fat differences on the association of EAT with CAC.
Methods: This was a prospective cohort of 371 severe aortic stenosis patients (77±8.5year-old, 51% females) referred to cardiac surgery. Agatston calcium score, EAT volume and visceral abdominal fat (VAF) were obtained by computed tomography. Body composition was determined using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Body weight and height were measured to derive body mass index (BMI), body surface area (BSA), and body surface index (BSI). EAT volume was normalized for BSA, weight and height.
Results: Median CAC score was higher in men (887; IQR: 2010) than in women (279: IQR: 145) (p<0.01). Similarly, men had higher volume of EAT than women (137±65.6 vs. 106±65.6mL, p<0.01), even when BSA- or height-indexed, but not if weight-indexed. EAT volume was associated with CAC adjusting for adiposity (BMI or BSI and VAF, or fat mass), but not with further adjustment for gender. In a stratified analysis, absolute- and indexed-volumes of EAT were independently associated with CAC in men while no association was found in women (gender-interaction p<0.05).
Conclusions: In these high-risk patients, we demonstrated that EAT was associated with CAC score irrespective of body size, body fat and cardiovascular risk factors in men but not in women.
Keywords: Body size; Coronary artery calcifications; Coronary artery disease; EPICHEART study; Epicardial adipose tissue volume; Gender; Sex.
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.