Echocardiographic epicardial fat: a review of research and clinical applications

G Iacobellis, HJ Willens - Journal of the American Society of …, 2009 - Elsevier
Epicardial fat plays a role in cardiovascular diseases. Because of its anatomic and functional
proximity to the myocardium and its intense metabolic activity, some interactions between
the heart and its visceral fat depot have been suggested. Epicardial fat can be visualized
and measured using standard two-dimensional echocardiography. Standard parasternal
long-axis and short-axis views permit the most accurate measurement of epicardial fat
thickness overlying the right ventricle. Epicardial fat thickness is generally identified as the …