Epicardial Adiposity in Children with Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

OBJECTIVE Obesity increases cardiac diseases by increasing tendency to atherosclerosis. Our aim was to define epicardial adipose tissue thickness, and its related factors in obese children. METHODS Total of 94 patients were divided into obesity with metabolic syndrome (MS) (n=30), obesity without MS (n=33), and control (n=31) groups. Auxological values with fasting glucose, fasting insulin, alanine transaminase, serum lipid levels, and high sensitive C-reactive protein levels were evaluated. Epicardial adipose tissue thickness, interventricular septum thickness and left ventricular mass were measured by echocardiography. FINDINGS Weight, body mass index, waist circumference, insulin, alanine transaminase, and high sensitive C-reactive protein values were markedly higher in obesity group when compared with controls (P<0.001). Epicardial adipose tissue thickness was 0.64±0.23 cm in obesity with MS; 0.60±0.20 cm in obesity without MS, and 0.27±0.12 cm in control group (P<0.001). Interventricular septum thickness and left ventricular mass values were markedly high in obesity without MS group (P<0.001 and P=0.002). CONCLUSION Our study has indicated that obesity has unfavorable effects on heart starting in the adolescence.