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Echocardiographic Epicardial Fat Thickness Is Associated with Carotid Intima‐Media Thickness in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

Background: Carotid intima‐media thickness (CIMT) is a potential indicator of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Epicardial fat thickness (EFT) is suggested as a new cardiometabolic risk factor. We investigated the association between EFT and CIMT in patients with MetS. Methods: Forty patients with MetS were compared with 40 age‐ and sex‐matched subjects without MetS in terms of echocardiographic EFT, CIMT, anthropometric measurements, and metabolic profile in this cross‐sectional study. Results: The waist circumference, total and LDL‐cholesterol, fasting glucose, triglycerides, systolics and diastolic blood pressure levels, hs‐CRP, and homeostasis model assessment index for insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) were significantly increased in patients with MetS. The EFT and CIMT were also increased significantly in patients with MetS compared to controls (7.2 ± 2 mm vs. 5.7 ± 1.9 mm; P = 0.001, 0.74 ± 0.1 mm vs. 0.59 ± 0.1 mm; P < 0.01, respectively). Echocardiographic EFT was the only independent predictor of CIMT in the multivariate analysis (standardized β coefficient = 0.74, P < 0.001). Conclusion: EFT is associated with increased CIMT in patients with MetS. (Echocardiography 2011;28:853‐858)