Neck Circumference a Practical Screening Tool for Metabolic Syndrome, suggests Study
Researchers have found in a new study that neck circumference is significantly associated with components of metabolic syndrome and offers a simple, low-cost, and effective method for screening metabolic risk, particularly useful in resource-limited settings. The study, published in Cureus, evaluated the relationship between neck circumference and various metabolic risk factors, including waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose levels, and lipid profiles. Findings indicated that larger neck circumference correlated strongly with higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome traits, suggesting that this measurement could serve as a practical anthropometric marker for identifying individuals at elevated cardiometabolic risk.
The study highlighted that neck circumference measurement is non-invasive, quick, and easy to perform in both clinical and community settings, making it a feasible alternative to more complex assessments such as imaging or multiple laboratory tests. Researchers observed that individuals with greater neck circumference tended to have higher central adiposity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia, supporting its utility as a surrogate marker for metabolic disturbances. Importantly, the measurement can be standardized with minimal training and equipment, allowing healthcare providers in low-resource environments to efficiently screen populations and identify high-risk individuals for early intervention.
The authors emphasized that incorporating neck circumference into routine health assessments could improve early detection of metabolic syndrome, promote timely lifestyle modifications, and guide targeted preventive strategies. While further research is recommended to establish population-specific cut-off values and evaluate long-term predictive power, the study supports neck circumference as a practical, cost-effective, and scalable screening tool for metabolic risk. This approach may be particularly valuable in regions where access to comprehensive diagnostic facilities is limited, bridging gaps in preventive care and helping reduce the burden of metabolic disorders worldwide.
Reference:
Fatnani, R. H., Narayanaswamy, S., & Bm, S. (2025). A study of neck circumference in metabolic syndrome and correlation with cardiometabolic risk factors. Cureus, 17(9), e91655. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.91655
Keywords:
neck circumference, metabolic syndrome, cardiometabolic risk, Cureus, Fatnani R.H., anthropometric screening, low-resource settings.
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