title: Association of Changes in Neck Circumference with Cardiometabolic Risk in Postmenopausal Healthy Women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although neck circumference (NC) is thought to predict obesity-related metabolic abnormality, its causal role in cardiometabolic risk is unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the impact of changes in NC on cardiometabolic risk in healthy postmenopausal women through a community-based longitudinal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a local community in Japan, 63 generally healthy postmenopausal women were recruited. All participants received an assessment of obesity-related anthropometric markers, biochemical parameters, and hemodynamic measures and were followed on average for 3 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline analysis, larger NC was positively associated with atherosclerosis-related markers, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and blood pressure, as well as some lipid parameters. After the follow-up period, change in NC was associated with changes in body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, and waist circumference (WC). Interestingly, significant correlations of change in NC with changes in baPWV and blood pressure were observed, whereas changes in WC and BMI were only associated with changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and/or total cholesterol. In multivariate linear regression analysis, change in NC was significantly associated with changes in baPWV and systolic blood pressure, independent of changes in BMI, WC, and biochemical parameters. In addition, an increase in NC was associated with a 2.69-fold increased odds ratio of accelerated baPWV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Change in NC was independently associated with changes in atherosclerosis-related markers. These observations suggest that NC is an important predictor of the risk of developing obesity-related atherosclerosis in healthy postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Welfare, Prefectural University of Hiroshima.
authors.forename: Satomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aoi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: Tadayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Fumiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ishizaki
authors.forename: Chiho
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chikamura
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nitta
authors.forename: Toshihide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyaguchi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000473:pathology*; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000150:complications*; D017698:Postmenopause