Relationship of neck circumference to cardiovascular risk factors.
OBJECTIVE
To determine a relationship between neck circumference (NC) and risk factors for coronary heart disease by evaluating the components of the metabolic syndrome.


METHODS
The study group included 561 subjects (231 men and 330 women) who had no known major medical conditions and were not receiving any medication therapy. The subjects were those who attended a family health clinic for any reason between 1998 and December 2001. Main indicators studied included NC, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, body mass index, blood pressure, and lipoprotein, glucose, and uric acid levels.


RESULTS
Pearson's correlation coefficients indicated a significant association between NC and body mass index (men, r = 0.71; women, r = 0.81; each, p < 0.0001), waist circumference (men, r = 0.75; women, r = 0.79; each, p < 0.0001), waist-to-hip ratio (men, r = 0.56; women, r = 0.63; each, p < 0.0001), total cholesterol (men, r = 0.50; women, r = 0.66; each, p < 0.0001), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (men, r = 0.42; women, r = 0.60; each, p < 0.0001), triglycerides (men, r = 0.48; women, r = 0.49; each, p < 0.0001), glucose (men, r = 0.21, p < 0.001; women, r = 0.44; p < 0.0001), uric acid (men, r = 0.50, p < 0.0001; women, r = 0.60, p < 0.001), and systolic (men, r = 0.53; women, r = 0.69; each, p < 0.0001), and diastolic (men, r = 0.55; women, r = 0.65; each, p < 0.0001) blood pressure.


CONCLUSIONS
Higher NC is correlated positively with the factors of the metabolic syndrome; therefore, it is likely to increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
Ben-Noun
Liubov
L
Department of Family Medicine, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Soroka Hospital Medical Center. Medicine A Carmel Medical Center, Technion Institute of Technology, Israel. l-bennun@zahav.net.il
Laor
Arie
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001824:Body Constitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D014527:Uric Acid; D002784:Cholesterol