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Neck Circumference: Its Usage in Medicine and Biology

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Handbook of Anthropometry

Abstract

Neck circumference, measured as the distance around the neck, is a simple and timesaving screening measure to identify obesity in both men and women. It is positively correlated with the components of the metabolic syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea. Furthermore, neck circumference is positively associated with traditional anthropometric measures of body circumferences and indices, such as the body mass index and the waist-to-hip ratio, and other physiological and biochemical measures of cardiovascular risk. It is positively correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides and glucose levels and has been used as a clinical predictor of menstrual irregularity, hirsutism, infertility, and insulin resistance. This has led to and increased interest in this measure with regard to its usefulness in clinical and epidemiological studies, but also from biological studies, interested in the possibility of an early predisposition for cardiovascular risk through early sex-steroid exposure. This chapter briefly reviews the reported associations with neck circumference and suggests possible applications also in non-clinical studies.

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Abbreviations

AHI:

Apnea/hypopnea index

BMI:

Body-mass index

CHD:

Coronary heart disease

FAI:

Free androgen index

MS:

Metabolic syndrome

MI:

Myocardial infarction

NC:

Neck circumference

NHR:

Neck-to-height ratio

OHS:

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome

OSA:

Obstructive sleep apnea

PCOS:

Polycystic ovary syndrome

PIH:

Pregnancy-induced hypertension

T:

Testosterone

WC:

Waist circumference

WHR:

Waist-to-hip ratio

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Acknowledgments

The preparation of this article was supported by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)) through the Institutional Strategy of the University of Goettingen. B.F. is currently funded by an Emmy-Noether Fellowship of the DFG (FI 1450/4-1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077, Goettingen, Germany

    Bernhard Fink

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  1. Bernhard Fink
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Correspondence to Bernhard Fink .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Nutrition & Dietetics, King's College, Stamford St. 150, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

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Fink, B. (2012). Neck Circumference: Its Usage in Medicine and Biology. In: Preedy, V. (eds) Handbook of Anthropometry. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1788-1_36

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1788-1_36

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1787-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1788-1

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