Influence of epicardial adipose tissue and adipocytokine levels on cardiac abnormalities in visceral obesity

Adipocytokine levels and visceral adipose tissue ( VAT) seem to be associated with some cardiac abnormalities and a role of visceral fat in predisposing to cardiac dysfunction, possibly through a low-grade state of inflammation, has been demonstrated. In this study we firstly show that elevated levels of both monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 ( MCP-1) and soluble IL-6 receptor/interleukin-6 ( sIL-6R/IL-6) complex are closely correlated with epicardial fat thickness. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.