Epicardial Adipose Tissue as a New Target of Therapeutic Interventions

Abstract

There is evidence of a correlation between epicardial adipose tissue and the presence and severity of coronary heart disease, the development of hypertrophy, impaired diastolic and systolic function of the left ventricle, enlargement, fibrosis and electrophysiological remodeling of the atria, the occurrence and severity of supraventricular arrhythmias. There is also a lot of evidence of the influence of both non-drug methods and drugs on the severity and functional activity of epicardial adipose tissue, which can be considered as a potentially modifiable factor of cardiovascular risk, the various therapeutic interventions target and a criterion for their effectiveness. Its unique characteristics suggest the advisability of pharmacological strategies aimed at regulating the expression of genes encoding the secretion of adipocytokines and adipocyte function, and a dynamic assessment of the severity of epicardial fat during therapy can be a tool to evaluate its effectiveness in various cardiovascular diseases.