Relationship of epicardial fat thickness and fasting glucose

In this study we sought to evaluate whether increase in echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness, index of cardiac and visceral adiposity, is associated with impaired fasting glucose (IFG). Epicardial fat thickness and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were measured in 115 consecutive non-diabetic Caucasian subjects [65 men, 50 women, median age of 42 years (range 30–64 years), median body mass index (BMI) of 27 kg/m2 (range 22–33 kg/m2), who underwent routine transthoracic echocardiogram. Study subjects were designated as having normal fasting glucose (NFG) with FPG < 100 mg/dl; and IFG with FPG (100 and < 126 mg/dl). Epicardial fat thickness was significantly higher in IFG than NFG subjects (8 ± 3 vs 6 ± 2 mm; 7.1 ± 4 vs 5.8 ± 3 mm, p < 0.001 for both and respectively in men and women. Epicardial fat thickness was significantly correlated with FPG (r = 0.60, p < 0.001). Our data indicate for the first time that higher epicardial fat thickness is associated with IFG in non-diabetic men and women. Echocardiographic epicardial fat measurement may be an additional tool for diabetes-related cardiac risk stratification.