ASSOCIATION BETWEEN NECK CIRCUMFERENCE AND DYSLIPIDEMIA IN OBESITY PATIENTS

Abstract

INTRODUCTION
Obesity remains a major health issue in Malaysia with increasing prevalence each year. Obesity is associated with metabolic syndrome and increased mortality due to cardiovascular disease. Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions which includes central obesity; plus 2 metabolic parameters such as raised blood pressure, raised fasting plasma glucose, raised triglyceride (TG) level and reduced high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. Neck circumference is a measure of visceral adiposity and is associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome.

METHODOLOGY
We performed a retrospective analysis of patients who were attending the University Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Weight Management Clinic. We studied the patient records and assessed association between neck circumference and dyslipidemia. We performed Pearson’s Correlation to determine relationship between TG and HDL levels and various parameters such as weight, BMI, waist circumference and neck circumference.

RESULTS
A total of 92 patients attended the clinic with a median BMI of 43.2±9.6 kg/m2. Median weight was 118±26 kg. There was a negative correlation between waist circumference and HDL level (r=-0.251; p=0.02). This negative correlation is also seen with neck circumference and HDL (r=-0.469; p 0.00). Neck circumference also has a positive correlation with TG levels (r=0.422; p=0.00) but no statistically significant correlation between waist circumference and TG. There was also no statistically significant correlation between both weight and BMI with TG and HDL levels.

CONCLUSION
Neck circumference is associated with high TG levels and low HDL which is consistent with metabolic syndrome. Waist circumference and neck circumference is a more direct measure of obesity and seems to be a better predictor of development of metabolic syndrome, especially dyslipidemia compared to weight and BMI.