title: Neck circumference, along with other anthropometric indices, has an independent and additional contribution in predicting fatty liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies have indicated that neck circumference is a valuable predictor for obesity and metabolic syndrome, but little evidence is available for fatty liver disease. We examined the association of neck circumference with fatty liver disease and evaluated its predictive value in Chinese adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study comprised 4053 participants (1617 women and 2436 men, aged 20-88) recruited from the Health Examination Center in Guangzhou, China between May 2009 and April 2010. Anthropometric measurements were taken, abdominal ultrasonography was conducted and blood biochemical parameters were measured. Covariance, logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were employed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean neck circumference was greater in subjects with fatty liver disease than those without the disease in both women and men after adjusting for age (P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that the age-adjusted ORs (95% CI) of fatty liver disease for quartile 4 (vs. quartile 1) of neck circumference were 7.70 (4.95-11.99) for women and 12.42 (9.22-16.74) for men. After further adjusting for other anthropometric indices, both individually and combined, the corresponding ORs remained significant (all P-trends<0.05) but were attenuated to 1.94-2.53 for women and 1.45-2.08 for men. An additive interaction existed between neck circumference and the other anthropometric measures (all P<0.05). A high neck circumference value was associated with a much greater prevalence of fatty liver disease in participants with both high and normal BMI, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neck circumference was an independent predictor for fatty liver disease and provided an additional contribution when applied with other anthropometric measures.
authors: Faculty of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, The People's Republic of China.
authors: Bi-xia
authors: BX
authors: Huang
authors: Health Examination Centre, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, The People's Republic of China.
authors: Ming-fan
authors: MF
authors: Zhu
authors: Faculty of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, The People's Republic of China.
authors: Ting
authors: T
authors: Wu
authors: Faculty of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, The People's Republic of China.
authors: Jing-ya
authors: JY
authors: Zhou
authors: Faculty of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, The People's Republic of China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: Faculty of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, The People's Republic of China.
authors: Xiao-lin
authors: XL
authors: Chen
authors: Faculty of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, The People's Republic of China.
authors: Rui-fen
authors: RF
authors: Zhou
authors: Faculty of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, The People's Republic of China.
authors: Li-Jun
authors: LJ
authors: Wang
authors: Faculty of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, The People's Republic of China.
authors: Yu-ming
authors: YM
authors: Chen
authors: Faculty of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, The People's Republic of China.
authors: Hui-lian
authors: HL
authors: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors