Relationship between epicardial fat and atrial fibrillation development in patients with permanent pacemaker

Aim: We investigated the relationship between epicardial fat thickness and atrial fibrillation (AF) development in patients with permanent pacemaker. Methods: 40 patients who had permanent cardiac pacemaker and were measured epicardial fat tissue thickness with echocardioraphy icluded in the study. According to AF development patients were divided to 2 groups; group 1 (AF developed) and group 2 (AF did not develop). The definition of atrial fibrillation was if there were a rate >175 beat/minute and a duration >5 minutes of atrial high rate (AHR). The demographic features, standart 2 dimensional echocardiography, Doppler and tissue Doppler findings recorded. The relationship between epicardial fat and atrial fibrilation development eveleauted statistically. Results: There were 10 patients in group 1 (mean age 57.8±17.0) and 30 patients in group 2 (mean age 60.5 ±13.7). There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to demographic data. The baseline echocardiographic parameters including left atrium diameter and volume, left ventricular diameter and wall thickness, ejection fraction and left ventricle mass index were similar in two groups. Epicardial fat tissue thickness was lower in patients with atrial fibrillation but there was no statistical significance. Conclusions: In patients with permanent cardiac pacemaker atrial fibrillation is common. In this population we did not find a relationship between epicardial and atrial fibrillation development.