Correlation between epicardial adipose tissue thickness and coronary heart disease in nonobese patients

Objective To study the correlation between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness and coronary heart disease (CHD) in non-obese patients. Methods Clinical data about 64 non-obese CHD patients (36 males and 28 females) admitted to our hospital from May 2013 to August 2013 were collected. Venous blood samples were taken for laboratory testing. The patients underwent coronary arteriography and echocardiography. Thirty-one non-obese patients with normal coronary angiography served as controls. Results The EAT was signifcantly thicker in non-obese CAD patients than in controls and in non-obese CAD patients with multiple vessel lesions than in those with a single vessel lesion (8.1±1.7 mm vs 5.3±1.2 mm, P< 0.01; 8.8±1.6 mm vs 7.3±1.5 mm, P< 0.05). Conclusion The EAT is signifcantly thicker in non-obese CHD patients. The epicardial fat may be a risk factor for CHD even in patients with a normal weight.