Thickness and Volume of Epicardial Adipose Tissue in Relation to Stiffness and Elasticity of Aorta Assessed by Computed Tomography Angiography

• Published in: Biomedicines 2023-06, Vol.11 (6), p.1617
• Main Authors: Gać, Paweł, Hajdusianek, Wojciech, Żórawik, Aleksandra, Macek, Piotr, Poręba, Małgorzata, Poręba, Rafał
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ablation; Adipose tissue; Adipose tissues; Angiography; Aorta; aortic distensibility; aortic stiffness index; aortic strain; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; Blood pressure; Body fat; Calcification; Calcification (ectopic); Cardiovascular disease; Computed tomography; Coronary artery; coronary computed tomography angiography; Coronary vessels; CT imaging; Cytokines; Ejection fraction; epicardial adipose tissue; Heart failure; Hypertension; Medical imaging; Overweight; Patients; Tomography; Type 2 diabetes; Vein & artery diseases
• ISSN: 2227-9059; 2227-9059
• DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11061617

The aim of the study was to assess the importance of the measurements of thickness and volume of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) as a predictive factor of increased stiffness and impaired elasticity of aorta. The study involved a group of 97 patients (63.48 ± 8.50 years). In accordance with the medians of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) parameters, aortic elasticity and stiffness parameters, patients were divided into subgroups: EAT thickness median 9.40 mm, EAT volume median 61.95 mL, EAT thickness index 5.08 mm/m and EAT volume index 34.33 mL/m . The mean coronary artery calcium score was 162.24 (±317.69). The mean aortic stiffness index was 4.18 (±0.81). The assessed mean aortic elasticity parameters were 3.29% (±2.37) and 0.12 cm /dyn (±0.09) for strain and distensibility, respectively. A positive linear correlation was observed between EAT parameters and aortic stiffness (0.21), volume (0.51), thickness index (0.24), volume index (0.55) and, for aorta elasticity, a negative linear correlation between the following EAT parameters was observed: thickness (-0.32 and -0.30), volume (-0.49 and -0.48), thickness index (-0.34 and -0.31), volume index (-0.51 and -0.49) and aortic elasticity parameters (aorta strain and aorta distensibility, respectively). The study showed that CCTA illustrates a relationship between the parameters of EAT and an increased stiffness of the aorta, while the most predictive factor of stiffness was the volume index.