Epicardial adipose tissue from computed tomography: a missing link in premature coronary artery disease?
Authors' conclusion
Patients with pCAD had EAT expansion with a higher lipid concentration, compared with controls matched for traditional risk factors. Increased EAT volume and low EAT density were imaging biomarkers related to severe and potentially vulnerable CAD features.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with premature coronary artery disease (acute or stable obstructive CAD before the age of 45 years) and asymptomatic controls matched on cardiovascular risk factors, who underwent coronary computed tomography angiographypatients who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography
- Participants
- 208 patients
- Comparison
- Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and density in premature coronary artery disease (pCAD) compared with asymptomatic individuals matched on cardiovascular risk factors
- pCADn = 104
- Controlsn = 104
- Outcome
- EAT volume and EATi
Methodological detailsmatched 1:1 on age, sex, and cardiovascular risk factors, consecutive individuals with pCAD, semi-automated artificial-intelligence based segmentation
- Matched 1:1 on age, sex, and cardiovascular risk factors
- Consecutive individuals with pCAD
- Semi-automated artificial-intelligence based segmentation
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
pCAD
71.5 mL/m²
interval as printed [45.7;99.8]
Controls
58.5 mL/m²
interval as printed [41.3;81.7]
P = 0.002
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | pCAD | Controls | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAT densitySignificantly lower in patients with pCAD | −82 HU (interval as printed [−87; −79]) | −82 (interval as printed [−85; −78]) | P = 0.025 |
EATi and plaque characteristics
- EATi positively correlated with increasing number of plaques, stenosis severity, and high-risk plaque (HRP) features
Original publication
Epicardial adipose tissue from computed tomography: a missing link in premature coronary artery disease? Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. Published 7 January 2025. doi:10.
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