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Epicardial and perivascular adipose tissues have gained significant attention in the past decade due to their involvement in complex metabolic shifts and inflammatory changes in cardiovascular diseases. Statins, the cornerstone of lipid-lowering therapy, have pleiotropic effects, including the potential of alleviating epicardial adipose dysfunction and inflammation, although their impact on local oxidative stress has received less scrutiny. This study was purported to assess the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in epicardial and perivascular fat samples harvested from patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery and who were treated or not with statins. Here, we report that patients chronically treated with statins (atorvastatin and rosuvastatin) exhibited significantly lower levels of ROS in their epicardial and perivascular adipose tissues. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between adipose tissue oxidative stress and the diameter of the right ventricle. Larger studies are required to provide mechanistic insights regarding the sources of epicardial ROS and signal transduction pathways activated by statins.

Keywords: epicardial adipose tissue; perivascular adipose tissue; oxidative stress; reactive oxygen species; statins; cardiac surgery