Association of Epicardial Adipose Tissue Thickness with Resting and Post: Exercise Cardiac Output in Overweight and Obese Individuals

Background: Epicardial adipose tissue is known to have adverse effect on local coronary health, cardiac structure and function. Echocardiography has shown to be a reliable method to measure the adipose thickness. Aim: To study the association between epicardial adipose tissue thickness with resting and post-exercise test cardiac output. Method: A cross-sectional study of 26 overweight and obese subjects in the age group of 20 to 50 was included. Epicardial adipose tissue thickness was measured using M-mode echocardiogram. Resting and post exercise cardiac output, ejection fraction and heart rate recovery were measured during sub-maximal exercise on treadmill. Results: There was no significant correlation of epicardial adipose tissue thickness with resting and postexercise cardiac output, ejection fraction and heart rate recovery. Conclusion: Cardiac output, Ejection fractionat rest and post - exercise, also Heart rate recovery were not affected by epicardial adipose tissue thickness of less than 4mm.