Pericardial Fat and Myocardial Perfusion in Asymptomatic Adults from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Background: Pericardial fat has adverse effects on the surrounding vasculature. Previous studies suggest that pericardial fat may contribute to myocardial ischemia in symptomatic individuals. However, it is unknown if pericardial fat has similar effects in asymptomatic individuals. Methods: We determined the association between pericardial fat and myocardial blood flow (MBF) in 214 adults with no prior history of cardiovascular disease from the Minnesota field center of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (43% female, 56 % Caucasian, 44 % Hispanic). Pericardial fat volume was measured by computed tomography. MBF was measured by MRI at rest and during adenosine-induced hyperemia. Myocardial perfusion reserve (PR) was calculated as the ratio of hyperemic to resting MBF. Results: Gender-stratified analyses revealed significant differences between men and women including less pericardial fat (71.9631.3 vs. 105.2657.5 cm3, p,0.0001) and higher resting MBF (1.1260.23 vs. 0.9360.19 ml/min/g, p,0.0001), hyperemic MBF (3.4960.76 vs. 2.6560.72 ml/min/g, p,0.0001), and PR (3.1960.78 vs. 2.9360.89, p = 0.03) in women