Neck Circumference Can Be Used As A Valuable Tool To Screen The Cardiovascular Risk Factors In Chinese Elderly: A Community Based Study

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between neck circumference and cardiovascular risk factors including diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol and fasting plasma glucose in Chinese elderly. Methods: 2074 individuals of the East China elderly population over 65 years old were analyzed. Anthropometric index, lifestyle and past history were recorded. The biomarkers of fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride and total bilirubin were detected. Pearson's correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were used to evaluate the correlation between neck circumference and cardiovascular risk factors (diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol and fasting plasma glucose). Results: Neck circumference was correlated with the investigative cardiovascular risk factors (diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, fasting plasma glucose) (P < 0.001). After adjusting age and gender, multiple linear regression analysis showed that neck circumference was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and triglycerides (P < 0.05). After a further adjustment of smoking, drinking, physical exercise and lifestyle, there was still a significant difference in correlation between neck circumference and each relevant index (P < 0.05). Conclusion: We found that neck circumference was closely associated with cardiovascular risk factors including diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides and fasting plasma glucose.