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The Many Uses of Epicardial Fat Measurements

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CT of the Heart

Part of the book series: Contemporary Medical Imaging ((CMI))

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Abstract

The term “epicardial adipose tissue” (EAT) – often called “epicardial fat” – refers to the visceral adipose tissue surrounding the heart and coronary arteries. Over the past two decades, an increasing body of evidence has accumulated pointing on a significant relationship between this fat depot and cardiovascular disease. This chapter summarizes the current data concerning epicardial adipose tissue, its quantification and its potential use as a novel risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

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  1. Department of Medicine, Cardiology and Angiology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany

    Mohamed Marwan

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  1. Department of Radiology, Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    U. Joseph Schoepf

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Marwan, M. (2019). The Many Uses of Epicardial Fat Measurements. In: Schoepf, U. (eds) CT of the Heart. Contemporary Medical Imaging. Humana, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-237-7_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-237-7_24

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