Abstract
The purpose of our study was to measure epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness as a novel indicator of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk factor in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and to show the relationship with clinical parameters and inflammatory markers. Forty AS patients (42.75 ± 12.43 years) and 40 healthy individuals with no cardiovascular risk factor as the control group (43.02 ± 14.78 years) were included in the study. Carotid intima–media thickness (CIMT) and EAT thickness were measured in AS patients and the control group. Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, glucose, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, urea, and blood pressure were investigated in both groups. In addition, the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) were used to evaluate the association between clinical findings and CIMT and EAT in the patient group. CIMT and EAT thickness were higher in the AS patients compared to the control group. CIMT was 0.76 ± 0.19 and 0.57 ± 0.12 mm (p < 0.001) and EAT thickness was 4.35 ± 1.56 and 3.03 ± 0.94 mm (p < 0.001) in the AS and control groups, respectively. A correlation was determined between EAT thickness and CIMT. Triglyceride level, patient age, blood pressure, and duration of disease were correlated with both CIMT and EAT thickness. Increased CIMT and EAT thickness in AS patients compared to the control group shows a risk for subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Celiker R (2000) Ankilozanspondilit: kliniközellikleri. Romatizma 15:15–21
Lautermann D, Braun J (2002) Ankylosing spondylitis cardiac manifestations. Clin Exp Rheumatol 20:11–15
Cece H, Yazgan P, Karakas E et al (2011) Carotid intima–media thickness and paraoxonase activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Clin Invest Med 34:225–231
Skare TL, Verceze GC, Oliveira AA et al (2013) Carotid intima–media thickness in spondyloarthritis patients. Sao Paulo Med J 131:100–105
Kuller L, Borhani N, Furberg C et al (1994) Prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease and assosiation with risk factors in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Am J Epidemiol 139:1164–1179
Jeong JW, Jeong MH, Yun KH et al (2007) Echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness and coronary artery disease. Circ J 71:536–539
Gastaldelli A, Basta G (2010) Ectopic fat and cardiovascular disease: what is the link? Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 20:481–490
Akyol B, Boyraz M, Aysoy C (2013) Relationship of epicardial adipose tissue thickness with early ındicators of atherosclerosis and cardiac functional changes in obese adolescents with metabolic syndrome. J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol 5:156–163
Sinha AK, Eigenbrodt M, Mehta JL (2002) Does carotid intima media thickness indicate coronary athero-sclerosis? Curr Opin Cardiol 17:526–530
Nambi V, Chambless L, Folsom AR et al (2010) Carotid intima–media thickness and presence or absence of plaque improves prediction of coronary heart disease risk: the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities) study. J Am Coll Cardiol 55:1600–1607
Greenland P, Abrams J, Aurigemma GP et al (2000) Perevention conference V: beyond secondary prevention: identifying the high-risk patient for primary prevention: noninvasive tests of atherosclerotic burden: Writing Group III. Circulation 101:16–22
Altun B, Colkesen Y, Gazi E et al (2013) Could epicardial adipose tissue thickness by echocardiography be correlated with acute coronary syndrome risk scores. Echocardiography. doi:10.1111/echo.12276
Lau DC, Dhillon B, Yan H et al (2005) Adipokines: molecular links between obesity and atherosclerosis. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 288:2031–2041
Kurt M, Tanboga IH, Aksakal E et al (2012) Relation between epicardial fat tissue and atrial fibrillation. J Clin Exp Invest 3:13–17
Choe JY, Lee MY, Rheem I et al (2008) No differences of carotid intima media thickness between young patients with ankylosing spondylitis and healthy controls. Joint Bone Spine 75:548–553
Valente RL, Valente JM, Castro GR et al (2013) Subclinical atherosclerosis in ankylosing spondylitis: is there a role for inflammation? Rev Bras Reumatol 53:377–381
Bodnar N, Kerekes G, Seres I et al (2011) Assessment of subclinical vascular disease associated with ankylosing spondylitis. J Rheumatol 38:723–729
Mazurek T, Zhang L, Mannion JD et al (2003) Human epicardial adipose tissue is a source of inflammatory mediators. Circulation 108:2460–2466
Altun B, Tasolar H, Eren N et al (2013) Epicardial adipose tissue thickness in hemodialysis patients. Echocardiography. doi:10.1111/echo.12498
Malesci D, Niglio A, Mennillo GA et al (2007) High prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Clin Rheumatol 26:710–714
Iacobellis G, Ribaudo MC, Assael F et al (2003) Echocardiographic epicardial adipose tissue is related to anthropometric and clinical parameters of metabolic syndrome: a new indicator of cardiovascular risk. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88:5163–5168
Robertson LP, Davis MJ (2004) A longitudinal study of disease activity and functional status in a hospital cohort of patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Rheumatology 43:1565–1568
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Resorlu, H., Akbal, A., Resorlu, M. et al. Epicardial adipose tissue thickness in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Clin Rheumatol 34, 295–299 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-014-2568-4
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-014-2568-4