Recent assessment methods of epicardial adipose tissue

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a visceral depot of the heart fat, which has high plasticity and directly contact with the myocardium and coronary arteries. Epicardial fat is a unique paracrine organ closely anatomically and physiologically related to the myocardium. Recent studies have repeatedly confi rmed the role of epicardial fat in the progression of the cardiovascular diseases. The accumulation of EAT, measured by using new non-invasive imaging techniques, is prospectively associated with the onset and progression of coronary heart disease (CHD) and atrial fi brillation. This review focuses on modern in vivo methods for assessing epicardial fat.