Association Between Neck Circumference, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Relative Muscle Strength in Older Women

Neck circumference (NC) has been proposed as a potential anthropometric marker of cardiovascular risk, but its relationship with functional capacity in older women remains unclear.

To analyze the association between NC, cardiovascular indicators, and functional capacity in older women.

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 64 postmenopausal women aged over 60 years. Participants were stratified into two groups according to NC values < 33.5 cm (n = 33) and ≥ 33.5 cm (n = 31). Anthropometric, biochemical, and blood pressure assessments were conducted, alongside physical and functional capacity tests, including sit to stand, biceps curl, timed up and go (TUG), six-minute walk test (6MWT), and relative muscle strength. Comparisons and correlations were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests (p ≤ 0.05).

Older women with NC ≥ 33.5 cm presented higher body mass, body mass index, waist circumference, sum of skinfolds, and diastolic blood pressure. Relative muscle strength was lower in this group, with effect sizes suggesting a meaningful difference. No consistent differences were observed between groups in sit to stand, biceps curl, TUG, and 6MWT performance. NC was positively associated with cardiovascular risk markers and inversely associated with relative muscle strength, indicating a consistent pattern of association.

Older women with higher NC values showed greater cardiovascular risk and lower relative muscle strength, but no difference in functional test performance (sit to stand, biceps curl, TUG, and 6MWT performance). These findings support NC as a practical and low-cost anthropometric indicator of cardiovascular risk in older women.