The Relationship Between Epicardial Adipose Tissue Volume and Coronary Plaque Structure in Diabetics

Abstract

Aim: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) contributes to the development and progression of coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to evaluate the relationship between EAT volume, coronary atherosclerosis, coronary plaque burden, and plaque structure in diabetic patients. Material and Method: 196 DM patients who were evaluated with 128-slice dual-source coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) for suspected CAD were included in the study. The CCTA examination was used to assess the total plaque burden, number of diseased segments, plaque characteristics, and EAT volume. The study population was divided into two groups [ a CAD group (Group I) and non CAD group (Group II)]. The plaque characteristics were analyzed on a per-segment basis. Results: EAT volume was found to be significantly higher among diabetic patients with CAD compared to those without CAD (138.7 +/- 49.1 ml vs 98.6 +/- 34.7 ml, p<0.001). In the correlation analysis, EAT volume showed significant positive correlation with BMI (r=0.369, p<0.001), total plaque burden (r=0.424, p<0.001), mixed plaques (r=0.454, p<0.001), non-calcified plaques (r=0.369, p<0.001), calcified plaques (r=0.191, p=0.007), and number of diseased segments (r=0.449, p<0.001).Also, multivariate logistic-regression analysis revealed that EAT volume to be a significant and independent predictor of the presence of CAD in patients with DM (OR=1.023, 95% CI: 1.014-1.032; p<0.001).Discussion: We have determined that EAT volume is an independent predictor among diabetic patients for the presence of CAD. Moreover, EAT volume showed moderate correlation with total plaque burden and the number of mixed and non-calcified plaques but weak correlation with calcified plaques.