THE POSSIBILITIES OF ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSTICS IN THE PROGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT OF THE EPICARDIAL ADIPOSE TISSUE THICKNESS IN CARDIOVASCULAR PATHOLOGY

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that different visceral fat depots can make a special contribution in development of endocrine and cardiovascular diseases. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a unique visceral fat depot, closely anatomically and physiologically related to the myocardium. This visceral fat depot has a transcriptome and secret that are very different from fat depots of other localizations. In healthy individuals, the EAT performs a buffer and cardioprotective function, but with the development of pathology, the EAT begins to secrete pro-inflammatory factors, and the synthesis of anti-inflammatory cytokines decreases. This fact is confirmed by numerous studies. A promising area of modern cardiology is the study of the prognostic value of epicardial fat in assessing the risk of cardiovascular disasters and survival of patients with various comorbid conditions. It has been proven, that people even with a normal body mass index have a risk of cardiovascular diseases and complications. People with normal body weight and the presence of visceral obesity have the cardiovascular risk in 2.75 higher, and the risk of death from all causes in 2.08 higher than in people with normal body weight without visceral obesity. Thus, only the use of anthropometric examination methods in practice may be insufficient for the diagnosis of visceral obesity. The most affordable, reproducible, cost-effective method of visualization of epicardial fat in clinic is echocardiography doppler methods. This review is devoted to the possibilities of using ultrasound diagnostics in the assessment of epicardial fat, as well as the possibility of improving the stratification of cardiovascular and metabolic risks based on an additional analysis of the epicardial fat thickness.