Local Thickness of Epicardial Adipose Tissue Surrounding the Left Anterior Descending Artery Is a Simple Predictor of Coronary Artery Disease : New Prediction Model in Combination With Framingham Risk Score

Background: Compared with global cardiac adiposity, the local accumulation of fat surrounding coronary arteries might have a more direct impact on coronary artery disease (CAD). Here, we compared the local epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness and global cardiac adiposity volumes for predicting CAD.

Methods and Results: A total of 197 consecutive subjects underwent 320-slice multi-detector computed tomography coronary angiography and were segregated into CAD (≥1 coronary artery branch stenosis ≥50%) and non-CAD groups. EAT thickness was measured at the right coronary artery (EATRCA), the left anterior descending artery (EATLAD), and the left circumflex artery (EATLCX). Although EATRCA and EATLCX were similar between the 2 groups, EATLAD was larger in the CAD group than in the non-CAD group (5.45±2.16 mm vs. 6.86±2.19 mm, P<0.001). EATLAD, after correcting for confounding factors, was strongly associated with CAD (r=0.276, P<0.001) and Gensini score (r=0.239, P<0.001). On multiple regression analysis, Framingham risk score combined with EATLAD was a strong predictor of CAD (adjusted R2=0.121; P<0.001).

Conclusions: The local fat thickness surrounding the LAD is a simple and useful surrogate marker for estimating the presence, severity, and extent of CAD, independent of classical cardiovascular risk factors.

内容要旨・審査要旨・論文本文の公開
本論文は, 著者Gulinu Maimaituxunの学位論文として提出され, 学位審査・授与の対象となっている。