A Study of Neck Circumference in Metabolic Syndrome and Correlation With Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Endocrinology
• Public Health

Background:

• Metabolic syndrome poses significant risks for cardiovascular and glucose metabolism disorders.
• Neck circumference (NC) is a key anthropometric marker for upper-body adiposity, linked to insulin resistance and visceral fat.
• Understanding simple markers for metabolic syndrome is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between neck circumference (NC) and cardiometabolic risk factors in individuals with metabolic syndrome.
• To determine the efficacy of NC as a screening tool for metabolic syndrome.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 160 participants (80 with metabolic syndrome, 80 controls).
• Clinical evaluation, anthropometric measurements (including NC), and laboratory tests (fasting blood sugar, lipid profile).
• Statistical analysis to assess correlations and determine gender-specific NC thresholds for metabolic syndrome prediction.

Main Results:

• Individuals with metabolic syndrome exhibited significantly greater mean NC compared to controls.
• NC showed strong positive correlations with triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, waist/hip dimensions, blood pressure, FBS, total cholesterol, and BMI (p < 0.001).
• Gender-specific NC thresholds (36.76 cm for males, 34.75 cm for females) demonstrated good specificity for predicting metabolic syndrome.

Conclusions:

• Neck circumference is significantly associated with major components of metabolic syndrome.
• NC is a low-cost, easily measurable parameter with potential as a practical screening tool for metabolic syndrome, especially in resource-limited settings.