Table 2. Distribution of clinical, laboratory and computed tomography angiography (CCTA) findings by tertile analysis of epicardial adipose tissue (eCAT) volume.
| Variable | 1st eCAT tertile (n = 50) | 2nd eCAT tertile (n = 51) | 3rd eCAT tertile (n = 51) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical data | ||||
| Age, years | 63±10 | 63±9 | 66±8 | ns |
| 1. Advanced age > 65yrs. | 20 (40%) | 23 (46%) | 29 (57%) | ns |
| 2. Male gender, % | 16 (33%) | 33(64%) | 40 (79%) | <0.001 |
| 3. Arterial hypertension | 31 (62%) | 42 (83%) | 47 (91%) | ≤0.002 |
| 4. Hyperlipidemia | 26(51%) | 31 (61%) | 33 (65%) | ns |
| 5. Smoking | 18 (36%) | 18 (35%) | 28 (54%) | ns |
| 6. Diabetes mellitus | 3 (7%) | 6 (11%) | 6 (11%) | ns |
| 7. Family history of CAD | 24 (49%) | 29 (57%) | 19 (37%) | ns |
| Sum of risk factors (0–7) | 2.2±1.2 | 2.6±1.1 | 2.9±1.2 | <0.05 |
| Body mass index, kg/m² | 25.2±4.1 | 27.6±4.1 | 29.5±5.2 | <0.05 |
| Duke Clinical Score, % | 51±30 | 61±27 | 70±26 | <0.05 |
| Laboratory data & biomarkers | ||||
| Serum creatine, mg/dl | 0.8±0.2 | 0.9±0.2 | 1.0±0.3 | <0.05 |
| Serum urea, mg/dl | 35.0±8.7 | 33.8±8.4 | 41.2±12.4 | <0.05 |
| GFR-MDRD, ml/min/1.73m2 | 82.2±18.5 | 82.8±17.7 | 75.0±21.7 | ns |
| Hs-CRP, mg/l | 2.0±2.5 | 2.0±1.7 | 2.9±2.4 | ns |
| Hs-TnT, pg/ml | 10.7±6.1 | 10.6±4.8 | 11.6±7.8 | ns |
| Total Cholesterol, mg/dl | 212.3±42.8 | 193.7±50.0 | 194.6±38.5 | ns |
| LDL-Cholesterol, mg/dl | 117.2±40.7 | 118.2±35.7 | 115.3±34.7 | ns |
| HDL-Cholesterol, mg/dl | 65.7±16.1 | 48.3±10.5 | 46.8±14.0 | <0.05 |
| Triglycerides, mg/dl | 104.0±38.6 | 116.8±44.3 | 210.7±160.1 | <0.05 |
| Cardiac computed tomography data | ||||
| Calcium score, Agatston Units | 9 (0–269) | 84 (0–361) | 117 (0–486) | 0.02 |
| Number of plaques per patient | 0.0 (0.0–2.0) | 2.0 (0.0–4.0) | 2.0 (0.0–5.5) | <0.001 |
| Total plaque volume, mm³ | 0.0 (0.0–62.1) | 18.4 (0.0–140.3) | 36.9 (0.0–165.3) | 0.004 |
| Non-calc. plaque volume, mm³ | 0.0 (0.0–8.3) | 2.2 (0–73.1) | 2.2 (0–72.2) | 0.009 |
| Maximal lumen narrowing, % | 0.0 (0.0–62.0) | 39.5 (0.0–66.8) | 47.5 (0.0–69.0) | 0.004 |
| Lumen narrowing >70%, % | 2 (5%) | 5 (9%) | 7 (13%) | ns |
| Positive remodeling, % | 12 (24%) | 11 (22%) | 16 (30%) | ns |
| ECAT volume, cm3 | 77 (56–91) | 113 (101–135) | 177 (155–228) | <0.001 |
CCTA-based data are presented as median (interquartile range), all other data are presented mean±SD or as proportions. Hs-TnT indicates high sensitive troponin T; hs-CRP, C-reactive protein; GFR-MDRD, Glomerular Filtration Rate estimated by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease method.