Epicardial adipose tissue and its mechanism involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death in the Chinese population. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a unique fat depot located between the myocardium and visceral pericardium, which plays roles in cardiovascular diseases through pro-inflammatory, pro-fibrotic, neuromodulatory, glucose and lipid metabolism disorders, and is an important risk factor in cardiovascular diseases, as well as a new target for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In this paper, the roles of EAT in the occurrence and development of coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, heart failure andhypertensionare described; and the possibility of targeted therapy with EAT to change the prognosis of cardiovascular disease is explored.