Evaluation of Epicardial Adipose Tissue in Patients of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Echocardiography and its Correlation with Intimal Medial Thickness of Carotid Artery

The present study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of echocardiography in measuring the thickness of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) of the patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its correlation with the intimal-medial thickness of the carotid artery (cIMT) to investigate the relationship between EAT and cIMT. 68 patients of T2DM were enrolled and were divided into 2 groups: group of T2DM with duration <= 10 years (35 cases) and group of T2DM with duration > 10 years (33 cases). And 30 healthy subjects were enrolled as the control group. The thickness of EAT and cIMT were measured by echocardiography and high-frequency ultrasonography. The thickness of EAT and IMT of the carotid artery of 2 type 2 diabetic groups (duration <= 10 years and > 10 years) were significantly higher than that of the control group (all p < 0.05), and the thickness of EAT and cIMT of the group of T2DM with duration > 10 years were significantly higher than that of the group of T2DM with duration <= 10 years (p < 0.05). In univariate analysis, the thickness of EAT was positively and significantly associated with age (r = 0.412, p < 0.05), BMI (r = 0.566, p < 0.05), waist circumference (r = 0.475, p < 0.05), LDL (r = 0.425, p < 0.05), TG (r = 0.496, p < 0.05), duration of diabetes (r = 0.384, p < 0.05) and cIMT (r = 0.456, p < 0.05). In multiple stepwise regression analyses, age, BMI and IMT of carotid artery were appeared to be significantly associated with EAT (p < 0.05 for all). In conclusion, routine screening of EAT and cIMT by ultrasonography in type 2 diabetic patients helps us to predict cardiovascular risks and prevent further development of cardiovascular complications.