Increased epicardial adipose tissue volume is associated with PR interval prolongation.

PURPOSE Epicardial fat is visceral adipose tissue that possesses inflammatory properties. Inflammation and obesity are associated with cardiovascular disease and arrhythmogenesis, but little is known about the relationship between epicardial fat and PR-Interval prolongation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and PR-interval prolongation as assessed by computed tomography (CT) and Twelve-lead ECGs. METHODS Patients (n=287) were referred for 64-slice CT for exclusion of coronary artery disease and EAT volumes were determined. Twelve-lead ECGs were obtained from each subject and were evaluated by two independent readers. RESULTS Patients with significant PR interval prolongation had higher median EAT volume than patients with normal PR interval. Statistically significant correlations were observed between the EAT volume and the PR interval (p = 0.183, p = 0.003), and QRS duration (p = 0.144, p = 0.018). Multivariate and trend analyses confirmed that EAT volume was independently associated with the presence of PR interval prolongation. The receiver operator characteristics curve of EAT volume showed that an EAT volume >144.4 cm³ was associated with PR interval prolongation. CONCLUSION This study indicates that EAT volume is highly associated with PR interval prolongation. Whether epicardial fat plays a role in the pathogenesis of PR interval prolongation requires future investigation.