Original Research Article
Year: 2021 | Month: January | Volume: 11 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 21-32
Neck Circumference as a New Anthropometric Indicator for Prediction of Metabolic Syndrome in Arab Women
Reem S. Albassam1,2, Nasser M. Al-Daghri3, Kai Y. Lei1
1Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
2Department of Community Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
3Prince Mutaib Chair for Biomarkers of Osteoporosis, Biochemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Corresponding Author: Reem S. Albassam
ABSTRACT
Background: Neck circumference has been associated with obesity-related metabolic and cardiovascular abnormality in several studies. This study designed to evaluate the potency of neck circumference for identifying cardiometabolic risk factors, and determining the neck circumference cutoff value for the prediction of metabolic syndrome (MetS).
Methods: This cross-sectional study involving 623 women aged 18-70 years, International Diabetes Federation (IDF) guidelines was used to diagnose metabolic syndrome among participants. The main indicators were neck circumference, waist circumference, body mass index, total body fat percentage, blood pressure, total cholesterol, lipoproteins (HDLc, LDLc), triglycerides, plasma glucose, and homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels.
Results: Neck circumference was independently associated with all cardiometabolic risk factors (P <0.001), except LDLc. Fully adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval [CI]) values for incremental increases in neck circumference in women were reported for raised fasting glucose levels, 1.70 (1.48–2.94); raised blood pressure, 1.29 (1.15–1.45); high triglycerides, 1.25 (1.13–1.38); insulin resistance, 1.20 (1.02–1.40); and low HDLc, 1.14 (1.02–1.40). Women in the largest neck circumference quartile were 13 times more likely [13.39 (6.35 - 28.23)] to have MetS than the lowest neck circumference quartile after adjusting for confounding factors (P <0.01). Finally, the appropriate neck circumference to predict ≥ 3 cardiometabolic risk factors in Saudi women is 35 cm. This cutoff value was associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome in participants with both high and normal body mass index and waist circumference values.
Conclusion: Neck circumference is independently and cumulatively associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in adult Saudi women.
Key words: Obesity; Metabolic risk; Neck circumference; Cutoff, Saudis.