Relationship of epicardial fat volume with coronary plaque characteristics, coronary artery calcification score, coronary stenosis, and CT-FFR for lesion-specific ischemia in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: We explored the association of epicardial fat volume (EFV) with coronary plaque characteristics, coronary artery calcification (CAC) score, coronary stenosis, lesion-specific ischemia in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: 88 controls and 221 patients were analyzed in the study. High-risk plaque was defined as existing≥2 features, including positive remodeling, low attenuation, napkin-ring sign and spotty calcification. EFV, CAC score was measured. The severity of coronary stenosis was quantified using Gensini score. CT-FFR was performed in three major coronary arteries, with a threshold of ≤0.8 considered the presence of ischemia. Univariate and multivariate regression was used to evaluate the association of EFV with CAD, palque characteristics, CAC score, Gensini score, and lesion-specific ischemia derived from CT-FFR. RESULTS: Median EFV was 104.97 cm3 (85.47-136.09) in controls and 129.28cm3 (101.19-159.44) in patients (P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association of EFV with CAD even after adjusting for confounding factors (P < 0.05). At linear regression analysis, EFV was significantly correlated with high-risk plaque and lesion-specific ischemia, but not with non-calcified plaque, mixed plaque, calcified plaque, CAC score and Gensini score (P ≥ 0.05). CONCLUSION: We found that EFV was associated with CAD, suggesting that it may be a promising marker of CAD. EFV was also correlated with high-risk plaque and lesion-specific ischemia, indicating that EAT was likely to be involved in myocardial ischemia and had the potential to definite patients' risk profile.