To Establish the Utility of Neck Circumference as a Novel and Simple Risk Marker for Detection of Metabolic Syndrome...

Waist circumference (WC) is used as a measure of metabolic syndrome (MeS); neck circumference (NC) can predict MeS. It is simpler to measure and may provide an indication of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

NC was measured. The mean NC was correlated with the markers of MeS and sleep apnea.

A total of 183 participants were recruited in the study. The average age was 48.13 ± 13.3 years in men and 48.09 ± 11.1 years in women. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 26.42 ± 4.69 kg/m² in men and 28.25 ± 4.92 kg/m² in women. The mean WC in men and women were 91.1 ± 12.92 cm and 90.86 ± 12.7 cm, respectively, while the NC was 38.4 ± 6.60 cm in men and 33.9 ± 2.40 cm in women. MeS was diagnosed in 17.6% of men and 12.7% of women. Sleep apnea was noted in 33.1% of males and 29.2% of females. There was a positive correlation between the NC and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (r = 0.316 in males), fasting blood glucose (FBG) (r = 0.522 in males and 0.263 in females), triglyceride (TG) (r = 0.172 in males; 0.320 in females), while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) showed a negative correlation in males and females. There was a positive correlation of NC with sleep duration in both males and females (r = 0.346 in males and 0.344 in females). Those with a NC of <35 cm had a sleep score of 7, while those with a NC of >35 cm had a score of 15, showing poor sleep quality.

NC was comparable to WC and waist-hip ratio (WHR) for cardiometabolic risk factors and also showed a good association with sleep apnea.