Physical exercise and epicardial adipose tissue: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Abstract
We performed a meta-analysis of the effects of exercise on epicardial adipose tissue (EAT). A systematic search was conducted in PubMed and Scopus (since inception to 1 February 2020) of randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of exercise interventions alone (with no concomitant weight loss intervention) on EAT. The standardized mean difference (Hedges' g) and 95% confidence interval between interventions were computed using a random effects model. Ten studies (including 521 participants who had, on average, overweight/obesity) met all inclusion criteria. Interventions were supervised and lasted 2 to 16 weeks (≥3 sessions·per week). Exercise significantly reduced EAT (g = 0.82 [0.57-1.07]) irrespective of the duration of the intervention or the EAT imaging assessment method. Exercise benefits were separately confirmed for endurance (six studies, n = 287; g = 0.83 [0.52-1.15]) but not for resistance exercise training (due to insufficient data for quantitative synthesis). It was not possible to compare the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) versus moderate-intensity continuous training (two studies, one reporting higher benefits with HIIT and the other no differences). Physical exercise interventions-particularly endurance training, with further evidence needed for other exercise modalities-appear as an effective strategy for reducing EAT in individuals with overweight/obesity, which supports their implementation for cardiovascular risk reduction.
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Endurance training is a particularly effective strategy for reducing epicardial fat depot.
“In another meta-analysis analyzing only randomized controlled trials, the endurance training emerged as a particularly effective strategy for reducing epicardial fat depot [137].”
From Dysregulated epicardial adipose tissue as a risk factor and potential therapeutic target of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in diabetes (2022) · cites this paper as [137]
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- Authors
- Saco‐Ledo, G., Valenzuela, P. L., Castillo‐García, A., Arenas, J., León‐Sanz, M., Ruilope, L. M., & Lucia, A.
- Affiliations
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (ES)
- Universidad de Alcalá (ES)
- Physiology, Health and Physical Activity Fissac Madrid Spain
- Research Institute of the Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre (‘imas12’) Madrid Spain
- Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (ES)
- Venue
- Obesity Reviews
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2020-07-21
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- e13103-e13103
- ISSN
- 1467-7881 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-789X
- OpenAlex
- W3044898345
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 58
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 1.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Obesity Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ABACUS. Repositorio de Producción Científica (Universidad Europea) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- European Commission
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI18/00139)
- Universidad de Alcalá (FPI2016)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiovascular Disease and Adiposity
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiovascular Effects of Exercise
- Keywords
- physical activity, epicardial adipose tissue, endurance training, resistance training, high-intensity interval training, moderate-intensity continuous training, obesity, overweight, cardiovascular risk reduction, exercise intervention
- MeSH terms
- Adipose Tissue, Humans, Obesity, Pericardium, Exercise, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Overweight, Resistance Training
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