Epicardial fat, body mass index, and triglyceride are independent contributors of serum fibroblast growth factor 21 level in obese premenopausal women

Purpose The hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) regulates carbohydrate and lipid homeostasis. FGF-21 represents an attractive novel therapy for obesity since administration of FGF-21 has been shown to improve metabolic abnormalities in obese animal models. We investigated FGF-21 and its relationship with epicardial fat thickness (EFT), metabolic parameters, and inflammatory markers in premenopausal obese women compared to controls with similar Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) project risk profiles. Methods Forty-five obese premenopausal women with body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m 2 and 41 control premenopausal women with BMI