Neck circumference is associated with carotid intimal-media thickness but not with coronary artery calcium : results from the ELSA-Brasil

Abstract Background and aims: It is uncertain whether neck circumference can be a risk indicator for subclinical atherosclerosis. We aimed to investigate their relationships measured by coronary artery calcium (CAC) and common carotid intima-media thickness (cc-IMT) with neck circumference in ELSA-Brasil. Methods and results: In cross-sectional and sex-specific analyses of 2266 women (50.6 8.4 yrs) and 1886 men (50.7 9.0 yrs) with both cc-IMT and CAC, free from previous cardiovascular disease at baseline, we built logistic models using diverse cut-off points for CAC score (0 vs >0, 0.05 for all). Conclusion: Neck circumference was significantly and independently associated with cc-IMT but not with CAC in women and men, indicating a possible effect of perivascular fat tissue on atherosclerosis