Is Neck Circumference Related to Other Anthropometric Measurements and Biochemical Parameters in Type 2 Diabetes?

Background Obesity is one of the leading risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist/hip ratio are anthropometric measurements used to diagnose obesity. In recent years, neck circumference, one of the anthropometric indicators used in assessing obesity, has come to the fore. This study investigates the relationship between neck circumference and other anthropometric measurements and specific biochemical parameters in T2DM. Methods Four hundred sixty-four individuals with type 2 diabetes were included in the study. Subjects’ body weight, height, and other anthropometric measurements like circumferences of the waist, hip, and neck were measured. BMI, waist/hip, and waist/height ratio were calculated. The biochemical tests of the subjects in the previous month from the study were accessed from the hospital information system. The relationship between anthropometric measurements and biochemical parameters with neck circumference was evaluated. Results The mean age of the subjects was 54.6±8.51 years. 56.2% were female and 43.8% were male, and the time from T2DM diagnosis was 9.9±7.49 years. Most male subjects were overweight (49.8%), and approximately one-third of the women were first-degree obese (33.0%). Body weight, BMI, waist, hip, and neck circumferences, and waist/hip and waist/height ratios were significantly higher in both male and female subjects in the neck circumference high-risk group than those in the low-risk group (p<0.05). In terms of biochemical parameters, fasting blood glucose and HbA1c values of men with neck circumference at risk were significantly higher than those in the low-risk group. Neck circumference measurements of the participants were positively correlated with body weight (r=0.543; p<0.001), height (r=0.260; p<0.001), waist circumference (r=0.562; p<0.001), hip circumference (r=0.293; p<0.001), BMI (r=0.366; p<0.001), waist/hip ratio (r=0.428, p<0.001), and waist/height ratio (r=0.393, p<0.001). Neck circumference had a low positive correlation with fasting blood glucose (r=0.165; p<0.001), HbA1c (r=0.281; p<0.001), and triglyceride (r=0.231; p<0.001) and a negative relationship with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r=-0.118; p=0.001). When the relationship between neck circumference and biochemical parameters was examined, it was seen that this correlation was only in men. Conclusion Neck circumference measurement is a simple and reliable method and is not affected by external factors. It correlates with other anthropometric measurements and can be used as a good indicator of the distribution of upper subcutaneous adipose tissue in T2DM. However, more studies with larger samples are needed on this subject.