PurposeAdipokines produced by adipose tissue have been found to be involved in the pathophysiology of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to investigate the relationships of resistin, retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and adiponectin produced by epicardial adipose tissue with coronary artery disease (CAD) and cardiac structure and function.MethodsForty-one non-diabetic males scheduled for cardiothoracic surgery were examined. Anthropometric measurements, echocardiography, coronary angiography, and blood analysis were performed preoperatively. We measured the serum levels of resistin, RBP4, and adiponectin and their mRNA expression in thoracic subcutaneous adipose tissue and two epicardial adipose tissue samples, one close to left anterior descending artery (LAD) (resistin-LAD, RBP4-LAD, adiponectin-LAD), and another close to the right coronary artery (RCA) (resistin-RCA, RBP4-RCA, adiponectin-RCA).ResultsLeft ventricular (LV) ejection fraction correlated negatively with adiponectin-LAD (rho =  − 0.390,p= 0.025). The ratio of early to late diastolic transmitral flow velocity, as an index of LV diastolic function, correlated negatively with resistin-LAD (rho =  − 0.529,p= 0.024) and RBP4-LAD (rho =  − 0.458,p= 0.049). There was no difference in epicardial adipose tissue mRNA expression of resistin, RBP4, and adiponectin between individuals with CAD and those without CAD. When we compared the individuals with CAD in the LAD with those without CAD in the LAD, there was no difference in resistin-LAD, RBP4-LAD, and adiponectin-LAD. There was no difference in resistin-RCA, RBP4-RCA, and adiponectin-RCA between the individuals with CAD in the RCA and those without CAD in the RCA.ConclusionElevation of epicardial adipose tissue mRNA expression of adiponectin was associated with LV systolic dysfunction, while that of both resistin and RBP4 was linked to LV diastolic dysfunction.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42000-023-00447-5.