Epicardial fat thickness is associated to type 2 diabetes mellitus in Korean men: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Visceral fat, including epicardial fat (EF) is recognized as a responsible factor of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between EF and diabetes in Korean men. METHODS: EF thickness was measured in the left main coronary artery fat tissue (LMCA-fat) by low-dose chest CT scans in 1,048 Korean men (age above 20 years). LMCA-fat values were divided into quartiles and the prevalence of diabetes was analyzed based on the quartiles of LMCA-fat values using logistic regression. RESULTS: There were significant correlations between LMCA-fat and body mass index (r = 0.169, p = 0.004), waist circumference (r = 0.172, p < 0.001), fasting glucose (r = 0.106, p = 0.037) and HbA1c (r = 0.176, p < 0.001). The patients in the higher LMCA-fat quartiles were associated with higher prevalence of diabetes (p for trend <0.001). Even after adjustment for multiple covariates, this association still remained statistically significant (p for trend = 0.022). The highest LMCA-fat quartile group was significantly associated with diabetes compared to the lowest quartile group. (OR = 3.26, 95% CI = 1.17-9.12). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that increased EF thickness is independently associated with the prevalence of diabetes in Korean men.