Research
Macro partitioning
A Mediterranean-style diet with high unsaturated fats and low carbohydrates reduces epicardial fat volume, whereas a standard low-calorie diet and exercise alone do not.
Adopting a Mediterranean-style diet (high in unsaturated fats, low in carbs) can reduce epicardial fat in obese HFpEF patients, even without significant weight loss. Combine this with physical activity for best results. Avoid standard low-calorie diets if they do not reduce EAT.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
the CENTRAL randomised trial demonstrated that a Mediterranean-style diet high in unsaturated fats with low carbohydrate intake decreased epicardial fat, compared to a low-fat diet, independent of absolute weight loss achieved.
Why this rating
Supported by the CENTRAL randomized trial.
Source
Epicardial Fat in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Bad Actor or Just Lying Around?
Mary-Tiffany Oduah et al. · Cardiac failure review · 2023
DOI 10.15420/cfr.2022.25
narrative_reviewCited 13×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) contributes to Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) through two distinct mechanisms: mechanical pericardial restraint and local inflammatory/fibrotic secretion.Good
- Bariatric surgery is the most effective intervention for reducing epicardial fat volume and improving HFpEF outcomes, superior to modest lifestyle changes.Good
- SGLT2 inhibitors reduce epicardial fat volume independently of significant weight loss, suggesting a direct lipolytic effect on epicardial tissue.Moderate
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