CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WDBJ) – Researchers at UVA Health are taking a closer look at an often overlooked risk factor for heart disease: the fat surrounding your heart.
When it comes to heart health, it’s not just about what you can see; it’s also about what you can’t. Fat surrounding the heart, called epicardial adipose tissue, plays a key role in how well your heart functions. But in some people, this fat can do more harm than good.
“What we’re doing that’s unique is instead of looking at the amount of fat around the heart, we are looking at its composition. So what is it made of? Is it made of a bunch of saturated fats or unsaturated fats,” said Fred Epstein, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at UVA.
Researchers Epstein and his team, using MRI imaging, have developed a way to analyze the fat’s composition without surgery.
“We are seeing relationships between features of heart failure and the composition of the fat around the heart. When we look at the first 30, 50, 60 patients with these methods, we are seeing the relationships we thought we would see,” said Epstein.
By examining the fat’s makeup, doctors may one day predict heart disease risks before symptoms even appear.
Dr. Amit Patel, partner in the research and a cardiologist and professor of medicine at UVA, sees enormous potential in this research.
“My role is kind of understanding how this technique fits into the care of our patients, how it will help us better take care of the patients, and make better decisions about them,” said Patel.
Early testing has already shown the fat around the heart in obese patients who’ve suffered heart attacks has an excessive amount of saturated fats. Researchers believe diet and exercise could play a role in reducing these harmful fats. and improving heart health.
“We want to hope that the technique will identify a group of patients who, if treated, could live longer. We could improve the survival of these patients,” said Patel.
The technique is still in the early stages, but the goal is clear: to create a new tool for cardiologists to better diagnose, treat, and even prevent heart disease.
“What we think is going to happen is that the results of these kinds of scans will help cardiologists detect people at higher risk for heart disease.” said Epstein. “And then, give them good advice on if they should change their diet or exercise more, might certain medications be helpful to change the composition around the heart to be more healthy.”
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