Epicardial Adipose Tissue, Coronary Plaque Progression, and Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events: A Multicenter Study
Authors' conclusion
High EATv is independently associated with CAD presence and progression
Study context
- Population
- Patients with serial coronary CT angiography in the PARADIGM registry324 women [43%]
- Participants
- 773 patients
- Exposure
- Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume tertiles
- Outcome
- Association of EAT volume with plaque, plaque progression (PP) and rapid plaque progression (RPP; annual PAV increase ≥1%)
Methodological detailsserial coronary CT angiography
- Serial coronary CT angiography
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Prevalence of PP and RPP across EATv tertiles
PP
P = 0.013
RPP
P = 0.021
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
EATv by CAD presence
P < 0.001
| Outcome | P value |
|---|---|
| Progression of PV, PAV, calcified and noncalcified plaque, T3 vs T1T3 vs T1 · PV | P = 0.001 |
| Progression of PV, PAV, calcified and noncalcified plaque, T3 vs T1T3 vs T1 · PAV | P = 0.028 |
| Progression of PV, PAV, calcified and noncalcified plaque, T3 vs T1T3 vs T1 · calcified component | P = 0.025 |
| Progression of PV, PAV, calcified and noncalcified plaque, T3 vs T1T3 vs T1 · noncalcified component | P = 0.022 |
Progression of plaque volume (PV), percent atheroma volume (PAV), calcified and noncalcified plaque, T3 vs T1
- Significantly greater progression in T3 than T1
10-year major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE)-free survival by plaque progression (PP) and rapid plaque progression (RPP)
- Lower MACE-free survival with PP (log-rank)
- P = 0.006
- Lower MACE-free survival with RPP (log-rank)
- P < 0.001
Original publication
Epicardial Adipose Tissue, Coronary Plaque Progression, and Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events: A Multicenter Study. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. Published 10 March 2026. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it