Impact of Sex and Menopausal Status on the Association Between Epicardial Adipose Tissue and Diastolic Function in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

To evaluate the impact of sex and menopausal status on the association between the epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and diastolic function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).A total of 542 consecutive patients with T2DM were retrospectively included in this study. All patients underwent cardiac computed tomographic as well as echocardiography. To assess the independent association of EAT and diastolic function parameters, we performed a multivariate linear regression analysis.The median EAT volume was 113.11 cm3 (interquartile range (IQR): 88.38, 148.03), and EAT volume was higher in men than in women (p < 0.05). We also discovered that EAT volume was significantly associated with diastolic function in both sexes after adjusting for risk factors (p < 0.05). Concerning menopausal status, EAT volume was higher in postmenopausal women than premenopausal women and was independently associated with the diastolic function only in postmenopausal women.In patients with T2DM, EAT is independently associated with diastolic function in the male population and a portion of the female population. In contrast to premenopausal women, EAT volume is only significantly correlated with diastolic function in postmenopausal women.