Correlation between epicardial fat and cigarette smoking: CT imaging in patients with metabolic syndrome

Figures & data

Table I. Inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Inclusion criteria	Exclusion criteria
Males and females aged 45–75 years	Renal impairment
No previous cardiovascular events (ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease)	History of cancer and/or type 2 diabetes
Metabolic syndrome (according to ATPIII)	Pregnancy and/or breastfeeding

Figure 1. Three-dimensional representation of epicardial fat volume (result of the semiautomatic computation).

Table II. Principal characteristics of the study population.

	NSMO	SMO	p
Age (yrs)	57 (54; 61)	61(54;66)	0.02
Calcium Score (HU)	4 (0;18)	94 (0;195)	0.001
Waist circumference (cm)	105 (101;110)	106 (100;115)	0.60
BPs (mmHg)	140 (130;145)	145 (140;145)	0.24
BPd (mmHg)	85 (81;90)	90 (90;95)	0.14
Triglycerides (mmol/L)	1.4 (1.1;1.8)	2.2 (1.6;2.5)	0.4
Glucose (mmol/L)	5.3 (4.7;5.8)	5.1 (4,8;5.7)	0.9
HDL (mmol/L)	1.03 (0.96;1.27)	1,03 (0.97;1.27)	0.80
Epicardial fat (ml)	101 (79; 130)	1385 (123;150)	0.001
HbA1c (mmol/mol)	42 (31;48)	40 (35;60)	0.88
Insulin (pmol/L)	70.7 ± 8.8	90.9 ± 15.2	0.3
Uric acid (μmol/L)	52 ± 3.4	59.8 ± 4.2	0.1

Data are mean ± SEM or median (25th percentile; 75th percentile).

SMO, smokers; NSMO, nonsmokers; BPs, systolic blood pressure; BPd, diastolic blood pressure; HDL, high-density lipoproteins

Figure 2. Epicardial fat differences between smokers and non-smokers. Boxes show median, 25th and 75th percentile; whiskers are 5th and 95th percentile.

Figure 3. Dot plot showing the calcium score values in the group of smokers and non-smokers.

Table III. Multiple regression model for the prediction of calcium score (dependent variable).

	β	p	R^2
			0.131
Smoke*	0.362	0.040
Epicardial fat	− 0.180	0.905
Age	0.023	0.371
Uric acid	0.207	0.262

*Smoke entered in regression model as “dummy” variable (0 = non-smokers; 1 = smokers).

Table IV. Multiple regression model for the prediction of epicardial fat (dependent variable).

	β	p	R^2
			0.177
Smoke*	0.453	0.01
Calcium score	− 0.165	0.371
Age	0.156	0.401
Uric acid	0.088	0.620

*Smoke entered in regression model as “dummy” variable (0 = non-smokers; 1 = smokers)