Listen to the report by Andrea Skalická on research into the role of epicardial fat in heart failure.

Excess body fat is generally harmful to health, but in the case of epicardial fat — a thin layer of adipose tissue directly attached to the heart — the situation may be more complex. The latest study by researchers from the Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences and physicians from IKEM shows that in advanced stages of heart failure, this fat tissue may actually help the heart.

Epicardial fat is able to produce ketone bodies in critical states, serving as a “last-resort fuel.” A small portion of this tissue essentially sacrifices itself to supply the heart with energy at a moment when it can no longer rely on its usual sources.

Researchers observed similar metabolic changes in subcutaneous fat. This phenomenon is linked to the so-called obesity paradox: while obesity increases the risk of developing heart failure, in its final stages patients with a mild excess of body fat may have a better prognosis.

The research was conducted on tissue samples from patients operated on at the Cardiac Surgery Clinic of IKEM and was carried out as part of the National Institute for Research on Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases (CarDia).

You can listen to the full report here: https://radiozurnal.rozhlas.cz/i-srdce-ma-svoji-spizirnu-epikardialni-tuk-muze-prispet-ke-zmirneni-srdecniho-9568838

‍