Khaberni - A recent medical study revealed that neck circumference could be an early indicator of the risk of developing heart diseases and type 2 diabetes, even after taking common indicators such as body mass and waist circumference into account.
According to the British "Telegraph" newspaper, the findings are based on data from the Framingham Heart Study in the USA, one of the longest ongoing medical studies in the world since 1948, which tracks the causes and factors of heart disease across generations.
The recent follow-up in 2022 showed that an increase in neck circumference is also associated with atrial fibrillation, one of the leading causes of stroke and heart failure. It was also observed that a thicker neck might be linked to sleep apnea episodes, which are known to negatively impact cardiovascular health.
Dr. Mike Delks, an ENT surgeon at “Health Hub” in London, notes that "a neck circumference exceeding 17 inches in men or 16 inches in women should be seen as a warning indicator that warrants medical examination,” explaining that the accumulation of fat in the upper part of the body often reflects an increase in visceral fat directly associated with heart diseases and strokes.
However, experts clarify that these findings do not necessarily apply to individuals with large muscular builds, such as rugby players, where a larger neck size may be due to muscle mass, not fat.
