Background: Visceral fat is increasingly associated with metabolic syndrome and with fatty liver, a condition carrying a high risk of cardiovascular disease. The independent role of epicardial fat deposition in cardiovascular risk remains unclear.

Background: Visceral fat is increasingly associated with metabolic syndrome and with fatty liver, a condition carrying a high risk of cardiovascular disease. The independent role of epicardial fat deposition in cardiovascular risk remains unclear. Aim: Evaluate the link between epicardial fat, visceral fat, liver fat accumulation and cardiovascular diseases and carotis atherosclerosis in patients with the major cardiovascular risk factors and with or without metabolic syndrome.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients referred to cardiac CT will be the source of recruitment.
• patients with excess of visceral fat,
• 30 patients with liver fat accumulation
• 30 sex-age-matched individual (controls) will be enrolled. All patients will undergo a complete family history, personal clinical history, physical examination and blood sampling for biochemical analysis.
• Informed consent will be obtained from each individual.

Exclusion Criteria:

• subjects with severe morbid obesity (body mass index [BMI] > 40),
• recent history of acute illness,
• clinical history of ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease,
• typical chest pain,
• previous coronary artery disease,
• conventional coronary angiography, percutaneous interventions, coronary by pass grafting, renal failure, cancer patients,
• subjects who take drugs that induces hepatic steatosis ( corticosteroids, estrogens, methotrexate, amiodarone and others)

50 patients (age 40-70) with excess of visceral fat (obese), 30 patient with liver fat and 30 sexes, age matched individuals will be recruited.