Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41746929›Full record

ArticlePloS one2026

The association between epicardial adipose tissue thickness and diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, hepatosteatosis, pancreatic steatosis and pancreatitis.

Ece Zengin, Aybuke Ucgun, Mehmet Emir Çevik, Sehnaz Evrimler, Ihsaniye Suer Dogan

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Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

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5 authors.

Ece ZenginDepartment of Radiology, Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Aybuke UcgunDepartment of Radiology, Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Mehmet Emir ÇevikDepartment of Radiology, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3844-7487
Sehnaz EvrimlerDepartment of Radiology, Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9907-0011
Ihsaniye Suer DoganDepartment of Radiology, Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEpicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is associated with cardiometabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus (DM), hyperlipidemia, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. However, its potential relationship with pancreatic steatosis and pancreatitis remains unclear, and existing studies offer inconsistent findings. Therefore, a clearer understanding of whether EAT reflects broader systemic ectopic fat burden or inflammatory processes is needed.This study evaluated the relationships between EAT thickness and DM, hyperlipidemia, hepatosteatosis, pancreatic steatosis, and pancreatitis.

methodsThis retrospective, single-center study included 200 patients who underwent abdominal CT between 2022 and 2024. EAT thickness was measured at the mid-RCA and LAD levels, and subcutaneous fat was measured at the umbilical level. Liver and pancreatic steatosis were assessed with CT or MRI. Demographic and clinical data (age, gender, LDL cholesterol, diabetes, and history of pancreatitis) were collected. Mann-Whitney U, Spearman correlation, and logistic regression were used in analyses; p < 0.05 was considered significant.

resultsOf the 200 patients, 31.4% had diabetes, 42% had hepatosteatosis, and 73.5% had a history of pancreatitis. EAT and subcutaneous fat were significantly higher in women at all levels (p < 0.05). Diabetes was associated with increased EAT in both the RCA (p = 0.002) and the LAD (p = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, RCA-EAT (OR=1.18, p = 0.002) and age (OR=1.03, p = 0.003) were significantly associated with diabetes. High LDL was associated with LAD-EAT (p = 0.030). For pancreatitis, multivariate analysis identified pancreatic steatosis (OR=5.78, p < 0.001) and LAD-EAT (OR=1.52, p = 0.002) as variables significantly associated with a history of pancreatitis.

conclusionsEAT thickness is significantly associated with DM, LDL cholesterol, pancreatitis history, and age, supporting its role as a potential imaging biomarker of cardiometabolic risk. These findings suggest that EAT may serve as an imaging marker of broader metabolic and inflammatory burden, supporting its relevance for cardiometabolic risk assessment.

Identifiers

PMID41746929
PMCPMC12944748

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