Epicardial fat study-AG: relationship between echocardiographic epicardial fat and coronary artery disease in patients after invasive coronary artery angiography.

Epicardial fat increase has not yet a clear correlation with coronary artery disease (CAD). This study had as goal to demonstrate a relationship between an increase of epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and CAD. In this observational study, we included 234 patients who underwent invasive coronary angiography. Before invasive coronary angiography, all patients underwent echocardiographic-2D for evaluation of EFT and they were divided into groups based on Gensini score and also on Syntax score. EFT was significantly correlated to the presence and severity of CAD assessed by Gensini score with a cut-off value of 5.2 mm (sensitivity of 90.9%-specificity of 87.3%- area under the ROC curve = 92.1%). EFT increase (fat index ≥5.2 mm) evaluated by echocardiographic-2D could be considered as a risk factor for predicting CAD.