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. 2021 Feb 1:324:8-12.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2020.09.074. Epub 2020 Oct 2.

Relationship between epicardial adipose tissue volume and coronary artery spasm

Takashi Kataoka  1 , Ken Harada  2 , Akihito Tanaka  3 , Tomohiro Onishi  4 , Shun Matsunaga  2 , Hiroshi Funakubo  1 , Kazuhiro Harada  2 , Tomoyuki Nagao  2 , Norihiro Shinoda  2 , Nobuyuki Marui  2 , Kiyoshi Niwa  5 , Hiroshi Tashiro  5 , Yusuke Hitora  5 , Kenji Furusawa  5 , Hideki Ishii  6 , Tetsuya Amano  4 , Toyoaki Murohara  5
Affiliations

Relationship between epicardial adipose tissue volume and coronary artery spasm

Takashi Kataoka et al. Int J Cardiol. .

Abstract

Background: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is considered to play a critical role in vascular endothelial function. Coronary artery spasm has been postulated to be a causal factor in vascular endothelial abnormalities and atherosclerosis. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between coronary artery spasm and EAT volume, total abdominal adipose tissue (AAT) area, and abdominal visceral adipose tissue (AVAT) area.

Method: Among patients undergoing coronary computed tomography (CT) to evaluate coronary artery disease, we identified 110 patients who did not have significant coronary artery stenosis and underwent a coronary spasm provocation test with cardiac catheterization. They were divided into two groups according to the results of the spasm provocation test: spasm-positive and spasm-negative. EAT volume, total AAT area, and AVAT area were evaluated using CT images.

Results: Seventy-seven patients were included in the spasm-positive group and 33 patients in the spasm-negative group. There were no significant differences in baseline clinical characteristics between the two groups, except for the prevalence of current smoking (48% vs. 27%, p = 0.04). EAT volume was significantly higher in the spasm-positive group (108 ± 38 mL vs. 87 ± 34 mL, p = 0.007), while no significant difference was seen in total AAT area (280 ± 113 cm2 vs. 254 ± 128 cm2, p = 0.32) or AVAT area (112 ± 54 cm2 vs. 98 ± 55 cm2, p = 0.27). Multivariate logistic analysis indicated that EAT volume (per 10 cm3) (odds ratio, 1.198; 95% confidence interval, 1.035-1.388; p = 0.016) was a significant predictor of coronary artery spasm.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that EAT has a strong association with coronary artery spasm, while AAT may not.

Keywords: Abdominal adipose tissue; Coronary artery spasm; Epicardial adipose tissue.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest H·I received lecture fees from Astellas Pharma Inc., Astrazeneca Inc., Daiichi-Sankyo Pharma Inc., and MSD K. K. T.A. received lecture fees from Astellas Pharma, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Daiichi Sankyo, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. T.M received lecture fees from Bayel Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Daiichi-Sankyo Co., Ltd., Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Kowa Co., Ltd., MSD K. K., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Novartis Pharma K. K., Pfizer Japan Inc., Sanofi-aventis K. K., and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. T.M received unrestricted research grant for Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine from Astellas Pharma Inc., Daiichi-Sankyo Co., Ltd., Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Kowa Co., Ltd., MSD K. K., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Novartis Pharma K. K., Otsuka Pharma Ltd., Pfizer Japan Inc., Sanofi-aventis K. K., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Teijin Pharma Ltd. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.

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