Non-Alcoholic Fatty Pancreas Disease is Associated with Increased Epicardial Adipose Tissue and Aortic Intima-Media Thickness
- 1 March 2019
- journal article
- research article
- Vol. 35 (2), 118-125
- https://doi.org/10.6515/ACS.201903_35(2).20181009A
Abstract
Background: We aimed to investigate whether non-alcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAFPD) is associated with epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), which is a kind of ectopic fat accumulation, and aortic intima-media thickness (aIMT), which is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis. Methods: Fifty-four patients with NAFPD (22 men; mean age: 52 +/- 10 years) and 49 without NAFPD (16 men; mean age: 49 +/- 8 years) were included in this study. NAFPD and alMT were evaluated using transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS). EAT was evaluated with transthoracic echocardiography. Results: EAT (6.09 +/- 1.52 mm and 3.87 +/- 1.31 mm, p < 0.001) and aIMT [1.12 (0.60-1.90) mm vs. 0.93 (0.50-1.44) mm, p < 0.001] were significantly higher in the NAFPD positive subjects, compared to the NAFPD negative subjects. Multivariate analysis showed that age (p = 0.016), body mass index (p = 0.004), and presence of NAFPD (p = 0.024) were associated with increased aIMT. In addition, multivariate analysis demonstrated that the presence of NAFPD (p < 0.001) was associated with increased EAT. Conclusions: The presence of NAFPD on TUS is associated with increased aIMT and EAT. Our study results may suggest that NAFPD may reflect subclinical atherosclerosis and may be a simple warning sign for physicians.Keywords
This publication has 19 references indexed in Scilit:
- Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2013 UpdateCirculation, 2013
- Association between non-alcoholic fatty pancreatic disease (nafpd) and the metabolic syndrome: case–control retrospective studyCardiovascular Diabetology, 2013
- Epicardial Adipose Tissue Increased in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Subclinical HypothyroidismMedical Principles and Practice, 2012
- A prospective evaluation of fatty pancreas by using EUSGastrointestinal Endoscopy, 2011
- The clinical significance of pancreatic steatosisNature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2011
- Perivascular adipose tissue as a cause of atherosclerosisAtherosclerosis, 2011
- Aortic Intima Media Thickness is an Early Marker of Atherosclerosis in Children with Type 1 Diabetes MellitusThe Journal of Pediatrics, 2010
- The association of pericardial fat with incident coronary heart disease: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009
- Risk Factors for Hyperechogenic Pancreas on Endoscopic UltrasoundPancreas, 2009
- Distributions of diffuse intimal thickening in human arteries: preferential expression in atherosclerosis-prone arteries from an early ageVirchows Archiv, 2002