Epicardial Adipose Tissue Is Associated with Plaque Burden and Composition and Provides Incremental Value for the Prediction of Cardiac Outcome. A Clinical Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography Study

OBJECTIVES: We sought to investigate the association of epicardial adipose tissue (eCAT) volume with plaque burden, circulating biomarkers and cardiac outcomes in patients with intermediate risk for coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS AND RESULTS: 177 consecutive outpatients at intermediate risk for CAD and completed biomarker analysis including high-sensitive Troponin T (hs-TnT) and hs-CRP underwent 256-slice cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) between June 2008 and October 2011. Patients with lumen narrowing ≥50% exhibited significantly higher eCAT volume than patients without any CAD or lumen narrowing <50% (median (interquartile range, IQR): 108 (73–167) cm(3) vs. 119 (82–196) cm(3), p = 0.04). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated an independent association eCAT volume with plaque burden by number of lesions (R(2) = 0.22, r(partial) = 0.29, p = 0.026) and CAD severity by lumen narrowing (R(2) = 0.22, r(partial) = 0.23, p = 0.038) after adjustment for age, diabetes mellitus, hyperlidipemia, body-mass-index (BMI), hs-CRP and hs-TnT. Univariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis identified a significant association for both increased eCAT volume and maximal lumen narrowing with all cardiac events. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed an independent association of increased eCAT volume with all cardiac events after adjustment for age, >3 risk factors, presence of CAD, hs-CRP and hs-TnT. CONCLUSION: Epicardial adipose tissue volume is independently associated with plaque burden and maximum luminal narrowing by CCTA and may serve as an independent predictor for cardiac outcomes in patients at intermediate risk for CAD.