Neck Circumference is Associated with Hypertriglysceridemia in adults

Objective: Anthropometric measurements are considered a applicable and cost-effective indicator in primary healthcare settings for identifying the risk of obesity and related chronic diseases. This study aimed to elucidate the association between hypertriglyceridemia and neck circumference in adults. Methods: The participants diagnosed with hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) (n=130) and those without HTG (n=130) were assessed in this prospective case-control study. Measurements included body mass index, neck circumference (NC), waist circumference, hip circumference, and various metabolic laboratory parameters. Results: The case group exhibited significantly higher anthropometric indices (body mass index, NC, waist circumference, and hip circumference) as well as higher age, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, uric acid, hematocrit, hemoglobin, white blood cell count (WBC), low density lipid cholesterol, and triglyceride (TG) compared to the control group (p<0.05). In the HTG subgroup, the mean neck circumference was 38.1 ± 4.1 cm, whereas in the control subgroup it was 35.7 ± 3.8 cm, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p<0.001). NC demonstrated statistically significant positive correlations with waist, hip circumference, and TG (r = 0.593, r = 0.461, r = 0.330, and r = 0.243, respectively; p<0.001 for all). Conclusion: Anthropometric measurements like those for neck, waist, and hip circumference correlate positively. This suggests that they can screen for hypertriglyceridemia, a feature of metabolic syndrome. 1. What is already known about this topic? Anthropometric indices are simpleand low-cost quantitative measurements well positioned in primary health care, as they facilitate the early diagnosis of cardiometabolic diseases.⁵ Neck circumference is a simple, cost-effective and time-saving method to ascertain upper body obesity.Numerous studies have focused on the association between BMI, simple antropometric measurements and hypertension, or metabolic syndrome. However, there is little research investigating the primary effect of high triglycerides. 2. What this paper adds: This study demostrated an association between NC and plasma lipid measurements (including TG) with other anthropometric measurements in adults. The study is expected to address research gaps in the area. 3. The implications of this paper: Health expenditure in developing countries should be used wisely, exam-based measurements should be preferred for less cost and efficiency focusing on prevention. Rather than frequent blood tests, primary health care services should promote easy body area measurements like neck circumference.