Journal of Clinical Medicine Research, ISSN 1918-3003 print, 1918-3011 online, Open Access
Article copyright, the authors; Journal compilation copyright, J Clin Med Res and Elmer Press Inc
Journal website http://www.jocmr.org

Original Article

Volume 11, Number 4, April 2019, pages 289-296

Associations of Pericardial Fat Area Determined by Routine Chest Computed Tomography With Coronary Risk Factors and Coronary Artery Disease

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1. Recruitment of patients studied.
Figure 2.
Figure 2. Evaluation of PFA by routine chest CT (NCGM method). PFA was defined as any pixel with CT attenuation of -150 to -30 HU within the pericardial sac at the sternal angle level. Red and blue areas indicate pericardial fat and other fat areas, respectively. PFA: pericardial fat area.
Figure 3.
Figure 3. Median levels of PFA between women and men. PFA was significantly larger in men (9.75 cm2) than in women (5.43 cm2). PFA: pericardial fat area.
Figure 4.
Figure 4. Median levels of pericardial fat area between patients with (+) and without (-) diabetes (a), hypertension (b) and dyslipidemia (c).
Figure 5.
Figure 5. Median levels of PFA between patients with and without CAD. PFA was significantly larger in patients with CAD (9.48 cm2) than in patients without CAD (6.26 cm2). PFA: pericardial fat area; CAD: coronary artery disease.
Figure 6.
Figure 6. ROC curve of pericardial fat area to predict coronary artery disease. ROC: receiver operating characteristic.

Tables

Table 1. Characteristics of Patients Studied (n = 53)
 
CT: computed tomography; E/A: the ratio of E wave (early diastolic filling velocity) to A wave (atrial filling velocity); E/e’: the ratio of E wave (early diastolic filling velocity) to e’ wave (peak early diastolic velocity); HDL-C: high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; LDL-C: low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol.
Sex, malen (%)31 (58.5%)
Age (years)mean ± SD75.2 ± 7.5
Body height (cm)mean ± SD158.0 ± 11.0
Body weight (kg)mean ± SD60.0 ± 13.0
Body mass index (kg/m2)mean ± SD23.9 ± 3.9
Waist circumference (cm)mean ± SD88.1 ± 11.6
Life-style related diseases and coronary artery disease
  Diabetesn (%)40 (75.4%)
  Hypertensionn (%)25 (47.1%)
  Dyslipidemian (%)43 (81.1%)
  Coronary artery diseasen (%)28 (52.8%)
Fat area measured by CT
  Subcutaneous fat area (cm2)mean ± SD114.7 ± 62.3
  Visceral fat area (cm2)mean ± SD104.5 ± 62.6
  Pericardial fat area (cm2)mean ± SD7.96 ± 4.81
Lipids and glucose metabolism
  Serum triglyceride (mg/dL)mean ± SD116.6 ± 73.0
  Serum LDL-C (mg/dL)mean ± SD96.2 ± 20.2
  Serum HDL-C (mg/dL)mean ± SD55.5 ± 18.5
  Hemoglobin A1c (%)mean ± SD6.8 ± 1.1
Finding measured by chest X-ray, cardio-thoracic ratio (%)mean ± SD50.4 ± 6.7
Findings measured by echocrdiography
  Ejection fraction (%)mean ± SD62.3 ± 9.4
  E/Amean ± SD0.87 ± 0.30
  E/e’mean ± SD13.0 ± 3.4
Findings measured by carotid ultrasonography, intima-media thickness (mm)mean ± SD1.75 ± 0.40

 

Table 2. Correlation Between Pericardial Fat Area and Parameters
 
Correlation coefficientP value
E/A: the ratio of E wave (early diastolic filling velocity) to A wave (atrial filling velocity); E/e’: the ratio of E wave (early diastolic filling velocity) to e’ wave (peak early diastolic velocity); HDL-C: high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; LDL-C: low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol.
Body mass index0.605< 0.0001
Waist circumference0.753< 0.0001
Subcutaneous fat area0.541< 0.0001
Visceral fat area0.74< 0.0001
Serum triglyceride0.2040.1423
Serum LDL-C0.1060.4519
Serum HDL-C-0.4530.0007
Hemoglobin A1c0.2620.0584
Cardio-thoracic ratio0.1330.454
Ejection fraction-0.2140.1973
E/A-0.2090.2293
E/e’0.1960.6742
Intima-media thickness0.30.0895

 

Table 3. Multiple Regression Coefficients of Pericardial Fat Area With Parameters
 
Odds ratio95% confidence intervalP value
Age1.040.917 - 1.1860.5416
Sex, male1.9090.211 - 22.180.564
Body mass index1.0021.606 - 1.6260.9943
Waist circumference1.2221.005 - 1.5800.044
Diabetes0.4450.025 - 4.4350.5052
Hypertension1.5570.237 - 12.390.6462
Dyslipidemia0.3270.016 - 3.4270.367