Punto de corte de espesor de tejido adiposo epicárdico para predecir síndrome metabólico en población venezolana

Objective: To define an echocardiographically-assessed cut-off point for epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness associated to metabolic syndrome (MS) components in Venezuelan subjects. Methods: Fifty-two subjects aged 20-65. years diagnosed with MS according to International Diabetes Federation criteria and 45. sex- and age-matched controls were selected. Blood glucose and plasma lipids were tested; EAT thickness and left ventricular mass were measured by echocardiography. Results: No significant age and sex differences were found between the two groups. Body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher (P = .0001) in the MS group. This group showed significantly higher levels of fasting blood glucose (P = .0001), total cholesterol (P = .002), LDL-C (P = .007), non-HDL-C (P = .0001), triglycerides (P = .0001), Tg-HDL-C ratio (P = .0001), and lower HDL-C levels (P = .0001) as compared to the control group. EAT thickness (P = .0001) and left ventricular mass (P = .017) were significantly higher in the MS group. The ROC curve showed an AUC of 0.852 (P = .0001) with a power of the test of 0.99. A 5-mm EAT thickness showed a sensitivity of 84.62% (95%. CI: 71.9-93.1) and a specificity of 71.11% (95%. CI: 55.7-83.6) for predicting MS. The odds ratio of this population for experiencing MS due to an EAT ≥ 5 mm was 8.25 (95%. CI: 3.15-21.56; P = .0001). Conclusion: An EAT value ≥ 5 mm has good sensitivity and specificity for predicting MS in the Venezuelan population.