Epicardial Adipose Tissue and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Hypertensive Patients with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Motivation: The mechanism of left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH) in Hypertension (HTN) remains unclear. Goal(s): The study aimed to investigate the effect of increased volume index of epicardial adipose tissue(EAT) on LVH in patients with HTN. Approach: A total of 209 HTN patients and 50 healthy controls, who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). Restricted cubic splines,binary logistic regression models and mediation analyses were employed to evaluate the association among EAT, CMR parameters and LVH. Results: EAT, ECV and GLS were independently associated with LVH. The relationship between increased EAT volume and LVH was mediated by ECV, native T1, GLS, GCS, and GRS. Impact: Increased EAT volume is independently linked to LVH in hypertensive patients, contributing to fibrosis and ventricular dysfunction. Targeting EAT reduction may be an effective strategy to alleviate LVH.