INCREASED EPICARDIAL FAT THICKNESS BY TRANSTHORACIC ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN NON VALVULAR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

Abstract

Background: Atrial fibrillation is the most widespread arrhythmia in clinical practice. Evidence has recently shown an association between epicardial fat and atrial fibrillation, which may be stronger than that for other traditional risk factors.

Aim: assess the relationship between epicardial fat volume and atrial fibrillation.

Methods: This study is a prospective observational analytic case control study; performed in cardiovascular department at the specialized medical hospital and radiology department, Mansoura University. Selected patients were subjected to the full history taking, general examination, transthoracic echocardiograph for measuring epicardial fat thickness.

Results: Total number of the studied cases were 62 cases, 31 atrial fibrillation cases (16 (51.6%) were male and 15 (48.4%) were female) and 31 control group (18 (58.1%) were male and 13 (41.9%) were female). Among atrial fibrillation cases, 29 (93.5%) cases had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and 2(6.5%) cases had chronic atrial fibrillation. Also, 21 (67.7%) cases had recurrent episodes of atrial fibrillation while 10 (32.3%) cases hadn’t. The study showed a highly significant difference between both groups regarding epicardial fat thickness measured by echocardiography (P ≤ 0.001). ROC analysis shows that epicardial fat thickness has strong predictive value for atrial fibrillation occurrence (AUC = 0.95 (0.90-1).

Conclusion: epicardial fat is strong risk factor for atrial fibrillation and a strong predictor for its incidence irrespective of other risk factors. Echocardiography provides easy, available non-invasive technique for evaluation of epicardial fat.