Neck circumference as a screening measure for identifying NAFLD among a group of academic employees in Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

Neck circumference (NC) reflects the fat deposition in upper body and has potential to be used as a predictor of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Our objectives were to examine the association of NC with NAFLD prevalence, and to determine the optimal cut-off of NC in identifying the presence of NAFLD among the employees of an academic institution in Bangkok, Thailand. In this cross-sectional study, 635 employees of an academic institution underwent anthropometric measurement and transient elastography following an overnight fast. NAFLD was defined as a CAP value >238 dB.m-1. The NAFLD prevalence in men and women were 66.17% and 46.22%, respectively. The mean NCs for men and women with NAFLD were higher (38.53±0.31 cm and 35.83±0.48 cm, respectively) than those without NAFLD (33.58±0.24 and 31.098±0.14 cm, respectively) (p<0.001). Metabolic markers including age, weight, BMI, NC, WC, WHR, FBS, triglycerides were significantly higher, HDL was significantly lower among participants with NAFLD compared to those without NAFLD (p<0.05). NC was independently associated with NAFLD among women with OR (95%CI) of 1.17 (1.05, 1.32). The optimal cut-offs of NC to predict NAFLD were 37.07 cm (sensitivity: 70.50%; specificity: 68.90%) and 32.07 cm (sensitivity: 70.70%; specificity: 62.10%), respectively for men and women. NC significantly correlated with NAFLD in women. The optimal cut-off points of 32 cm and 37 cm for men and women, which similar to Chinese populations. Therefore, it can be used as a cost-effective tool to predict NAFLD. Trial Registration: Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR20210329006)

Using hyperhomocysteinemia and body composition to predict the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in healthcare workers

“…The current body of literature therefore indicates that insulin resistance may link HHcy, muscle content, visceral fat area, and waistline. The NC cut-off point for predicting NAFLD was 38 cm in men and 34 cm in women in a Chinese population (18,42,43). In our study, the best NC cut-off point for NAFLD was 34.45 cm in women with HHcy, and the best skeletal-muscle content cut-off point for NAFLD was 41.335% in men with HHcy.…”

Associations between body circumference and testosterone levels and risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: A Mendelian randomization study

“…The results of the analysis in this study concluded that hip and neck circumference are protective factors for MAFLD and that the risk of developing MAFLD decreases with an increase in both, which is contradictory to the results of some of the current studies. A study including 635 observers at a Thai academic institution showed that men and women with MAFLD had higher neck circumference values than men and women without MAFLD, suggesting that neck circumference may be a risk factor for MAFLD (29). A study including 2761 subjects at Changhai Hospital in China showed that MAFLD subjects had signi cantly higher neck circumference values than normal control subjects (30).…”