Association between Neck Circumference and Glycemia in Adolescents

Background: The determination of glycemia is an essential element for the diagnosis of diabetes or possible glycemic alterations. The body composition and fat distribution are related to this parameter. The neck circumference (NC) is an anthropometric measure that has been used to evaluate the overweight and accumulation of subcutaneous fat in the upper body, regardless of age. It is also a useful tool to predict insulin resistance and other risk factors. This research aimed to study the relationship between the NC and glycemia in adolescents and, thus, to analyze the applicability of this anthropometric measure in the screening of glycemic alterations in this group. Methods: The study population consisted of 600 adolescents aged 10 to 19 years. Data on sex, birth date, NC, fasting blood glucose and stage of sexual maturation was collected. Results: The evolution of sexual maturation generated a significant difference in the NC in both sexes, but not affected glycemia. Thus, the association between NC and glycemia was investigated according to this parameter. Among the pre-pubertal adolescents, the NC was significantly higher among those who had glycemia within borderline values, and the opposite occurred among pubertal adolescents. Among post-pubertal adolescents, NC was similar between the two groups. A negative correlation was found in all adolescents, as well as among those who were in the pubertal and post-pubertal stages of sexual maturation. Differently, adolescents in the pre-pubertal stage showed a positive correlation between the NC and the biochemical parameters. Conclusion: This study showed that the relationship between the NC and glycemia varies according to the stage of sexual maturation. As this maturation factor is rarely considered in the glycemic alteration screening, the use of the NC in this age group is not safe and requires further investigations.