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Review
. 2023 May 16:14:1167952.
doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1167952. eCollection 2023.

The role of epicardial adipose tissue dysfunction in cardiovascular diseases: an overview of pathophysiology, evaluation, and management

Cheng Li  1 , Xinyu Liu  2 , Binay Kumar Adhikari  3 , Liping Chen  4 , Wenyun Liu  5 , Yonggang Wang  1 , Huimao Zhang  5
Affiliations
Review

The role of epicardial adipose tissue dysfunction in cardiovascular diseases: an overview of pathophysiology, evaluation, and management

Cheng Li et al. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). .

Abstract

In recent decades, the epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has been at the forefront of scientific research because of its diverse role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). EAT lies between the myocardium and the visceral pericardium. The same microcirculation exists both in the epicardial fat and the myocardium. Under physiological circumstances, EAT serves as cushion and protects coronary arteries and myocardium from violent distortion and impact. In addition, EAT acts as an energy lipid source, thermoregulator, and endocrine organ. Under pathological conditions, EAT dysfunction promotes various CVDs progression in several ways. It seems that various secretions of the epicardial fat are responsible for myocardial metabolic disturbances and, finally, leads to CVDs. Therefore, EAT might be an early predictor of CVDs. Furthermore, different non-invasive imaging techniques have been proposed to identify and assess EAT as an important parameter to stratify the CVD risk. We also present the potential therapeutic possibilities aiming at modifying the function of EAT. This paper aims to provide overview of the potential role of EAT in CVDs, discuss different imaging techniques to assess EAT, and provide potential therapeutic options for EAT. Hence, EAT may represent as a potential predictor and a novel therapeutic target for management of CVDs in the future.

Keywords: cardiac imaging; cardiovascular diseases; epicardial adipose tissue; management; obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The anatomy of epicardial adipose tissue.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The increased EAT contributes to the onset and the poor prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. CVDs, cardiovascular diseases; EAT, epicardial adipose tissue; ROS, reactive oxygen species.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Therapeutic options affecting the epicardial adipose tissue.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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