Grasa epicárdica y su relación con alteraciones morfológicas cardiacas y marcadores de disfunción diastólica

pp. 377-381

Resumen

Background: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a layer of visceral fat located between the myocardium and the visceral pericardium. Increased EAT functions as a metabolically active organ and has been linked to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Objective: The aim of this study was to assess EAT thickness measured by echocardiography in a group of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to evaluate its relationship with parameters of diastolic dysfunction (DD) as an early marker of HFpEF. Methods: EAT was evaluated in 86 patients with T2DM and no cardiovascular disease (mean age 56 years; 53% women; 63% obesity; 67% hypertension).

Results: Mean EAT thickness was 7.07 ± 3.09 mm; 65% had EAT > 5 mm and 45% > 7 mm. Patients with EAT > 5 mm showed significantly more DD criteria (42.9% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.001). Specifically, increased EAT was associated with higher left atrial volume, and septal e´velocity < 7 cm/s, and lateral e´ velocity < 10 cm/s. A progressive increase in mean EAT thickness was observed with the number of DD criteria (8.56 mm with two criteria; 9.8 mm with three criteria).

Conclusion: EAT is associated with subclinical structural and functional cardiac abnormalities and may serve as an early marker of DD and HFpEF in patients with T2DM.