The Relationship between Epicardial and Peripheral Fat Thicknesses with Coronary Stenosis in Patients Undergoing Multislice Computed Tomography Angiography Referring to Alzahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran, during 2014-2015

Some of recent studies have shown that epicardial and abdominal fat are linked to heart diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between epicardial and peripheral fat thicknesses with coronary stenosis in patients undergoing multislice computed tomography (CT) angiography referring to Alzahra hospital, Isfahan, Iran, during 2014-2015. In a cross-sectional study, 190 patients undergoing multislice CT angiography were selected, and epicardial and peripheral fat thicknesses, as well as coronary stenosis, were measured among them. Then, the relationship between these variables was determined. The mean peripheral subcutaneous fat thickness was 20.39 ± 6.11 and 19.05 ± 8.91 mm in patients with and without significant coronary stenosis, respectively; and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.240). The mean epicardial adipose tissue was 5.19 ± 0.58 and 3.86 ± 0.28 mm in patients with and without significant coronary stenosis, respectively; and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Regarding the higher peripheral fat in patients with coronary stenosis, and according to high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, smoking, and other risk factors of atherosclerosis among them, and additive effect of these factors on these diseases, measurement of epicardial fat thickness in at-risk patients must be done. Moreover, several activities must be done to prevent and decrease epicardial and peripheral fat thickness.