Neck circumference (NC) is a novel simple and stable body measurement, a growing body of evidence indicates its validity to diagnose obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Because the cutoff value of NC is gender and ethnic-specific; we conducted the current study to explore the performance of NC to predict general obesity, central obesity, and MetS among adult Saudis of both genders. This is a cross-sectional study which included 3063 adult Saudis (1156 males and 1907 females) with a mean age of 38.6 ± 14.1 years. Anthropometric measurements and blood pressure were assessed by a standardized methodology. Blood tests including fasting lipid panel, blood glucose, fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HBA1c) were measured for all participants. We identified the MetS based on Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII definition). Data were analyzed using SPSS®19 (PASW statistics data document 19); NC was compared to relevant anthropometric measures to predict obesity and MetS using Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) analyses. The cutoff value of NC which possessed good discriminating power between obese and non-obese patients was estimated by Youden index, and we estimated the adjusted Odds Ratio (OR) to delineate the association between NC and the outcome variables by multiple logistic regression analysis. ROC analyses demonstrated good performance of NC for general obesity, central obesity and MetS; as a predictor of obesity in non-diabetics, Area Under the Curve (AUC) ranged from 0.77–0.86. In MetS, AUC was 0.77 and 0.82 for males and females respectively. The best cutoff values of the NC to predict obesity were ≥ 37.5 cm for males versus ≥32.5 cm for females. The results of adjusted logistic regression analysis adjusted for age and waist height ratio, revealed a consistent positive association between NC, general obesity, MetS, and central obesity: ORs were 4.26, 3.03, 1.45 for males versus 4.65, 3.66, and1.47 for females respectively. NC stands out as an independent predictor of obesity and the MetS. Its stability, easiness of application, low cost and the cultural acceptance, justify its use as a screening tool for general and central obesity as well as MetS among Saudis under community settings, and as an additional routine measurement for health professionals.

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Performance of neck circumference to predict obesity and metabolic syndrome among adult Saudis: a cross-sectional study.

Neck circumference (NC) has been suggested as a predictor for blood pressure disorders. Therefore, we sought to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis regarding the association between NC and blood pressure in adults. Pertinent studies were identified by searching PubMed and Scopus databases, up to March 2018. Studies which reported the correlation coefficient between NC, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were selected. Also, studies reported the odds ratio (OR) of hypertension or pre-hypertension included adults older than 18 years old were selected. Results were pooled using a random-effects model. Of 29 studies included in meta-analysis, 26 studies reported only correlation coefficient, 3 studies reported only odds ratio and 2 studies reported both correlation coefficient and odds ratio. Overall, NC was significantly correlated with SBP [ES (z)=0.20; 95% CI=0.18, 0.23] and DBP [ES (z)=0.20; 95% CI=0.16, 0.24]. Type of correlation coefficient was the sources of observed heterogeneity. Also, NC was directly associated with the risk of hypertension (OR=1.29; 95% CI: 1.06-1.56), but not pre-hypertension (OR=1.18; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.52). Furthermore, subgroup analysis based on the region indicated that the studies conducted in Western regions reported higher risk of HTN in association with NC (OR=1.27; 95% CI: 1.23-1.32), but not among those conducted in the Eastern regions (OR=1.11; 95% CI: 0.96-1.28). NC seems to be a new anthropometric measurement, which is probably a good predictor of elevated blood pressure, especially in the Western population.

Association Between Neck Circumference and Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

Concordances and correlations between anthropometric indices of obesity: a systematic review.

The study aimed to determine whether neck circumference is associated with bone metabolism markers among adult Arab women and found modest but significant associations with bone resorption markers, suggesting that neck circumference, a surrogate measure of upper subcutaneous fat, influences bone turnover expression among adult females. Body fat distribution is associated with decreased bone resorption and neck circumference (NC), a surrogate measure for upper body fat, has never been tested as a marker that can reflect bone turnover. This is the first study aimed to analyze the associations between NC and several bone biomarkers among adult Saudi women. This cross-sectional study included a total of 265 middle-aged Saudi women [86 non-obese (mean age 52.7 ± 8.1; mean BMI 26.9 ± 2.3) and 179 obese (mean age 50.6 ± 7.5; mean BMI 35.7 ± 4.5)] recruited from primary care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Anthropometrics included BMI, NC, waist and hip circumferences, total body fat percentage (%), and blood pressure. Biochemical parameters included glucose and lipid profile which were measured routinely. Serum levels of 25(OH) D, parathyroid hormone, RANKl, sclerostin, C-terminal telopeptide of collagen I (CTX-I), Dkk1, IL1β, osteoprotegerin, osteopontin, and osteocalcin were measured using commercially available assays. In all groups, NC was inversely associated with PTH (R = − 0.22; p < 0.05) and positively associated with osteoprotegerin (R = 0.20; p < 0.05) even after adjustments for age and BMI. Using all anthropometric indices as independent variables showed that only NC explained the variance perceived in CTX-I (p = 0.049). In the non-obese, waist-hip ratio (WHR) was significantly associated with sclerostin (R = 0.40; p < 0.05) and body fat was significantly associated with osteopontin (R = 0.42; p < 0.05). NC is modestly but significantly associated with bone biomarkers, particularly the bone resorption markers, among adult Arab women. The present findings highlight the importance of NC as measure of upper body subcutaneous fat in influencing bone biomarker expression in adult females.

Bone metabolism markers are associated with neck circumference in adult Arab women

BACKGROUND The rates of overweight and obese adults in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have increased dramatically in recent decades. Several anthropometric measurements are used to assess body weight status. Some anthropometric measurements might not be convenient to use in certain communities and settings. The objective of this study was to assess the agreement of four anthropometric measurements and indices of weight status and to investigate their associations with cardiometabolic risks. METHODS The study design was a cross-section population-based study. Adults living in the Northern Emirates were surveyed. Fasting blood samples, blood pressure readings and anthropometric measurements were also collected. RESULTS A total of 3531 subjects were included in this study. The prevalence of obesity/overweight was 66.4% based on body mass index (BMI), 61.7% based on waist circumference (WC), 64.6% based on waist-hip ratio (WHR) and 71% based on neck circumference (NC). There were moderate agreements between BMI and WC and between WC and WHR, with kappa (k) ranging from 0.41 to 0.60. NC showed poor agreement with BMI, WC and WHR, with k ranging from 0 to 0.2. Overweight and obesity based on BMI, WC and WHR were significantly associated with cardiometabolic risks. CONCLUSION Overall, there was a moderate to a poor agreement between BMI, WC, WHR and NC. Particularly, NC showed poor agreement with BMI, WC and WHR. BMI and WC showed better performance for identifying cardiometabolic risks than WHR and NC.

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Significance and agreement between obesity anthropometric measurements and indices in adults: a population-based study from the United Arab Emirates.

Objectives: To determine the optimal cutoff value for neck circumference (NC) that define overweight/obesity and assess its predictive potential for cardiometabolic risks (CMR) among Saudi subjects. Methods: A cross sectional study of 785 adults recruited from a public health awareness campaign in Medina, Saudi Arabia during June 2015. Waist circumference (WC), NC, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), and random blood glucose (RBG) were assessed, and the presence of CMR were collected by a questionnaire. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the associations of NC with other anthropometric indices and CMR. The optimal cutoff value for NC to identify overweight/obesity was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: There were significant correlations between NC and BMI, weight, WC, age, RBG, and BP. The area under the curve for NC and WC in the ROC analysis was 0.86 for men and 0.77 for women, and NC ≥39.25 cm for men and ≥34.75 cm for women were the best cutoff levels for identifying subjects with central obesity with an 89% sensitivity and a 71% specificity for men and an 80% sensitivity and a 65% specificity for women. These cutoff levels for NC were associated with a significantly increased risk for diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Conclusion: Neck circumference is positively correlated with BMI and WC, and can be used to identify overweight/obesity and predict CMR in Saudi individuals. Saudi Med J 2017; Vol. 38 (12): 1219-1223 doi: 10.15537/smj.2017.12.20926 How to cite this article: Alfadhli EM, Sandokji AA, Zahid BN, Makkawi MA, Alshenaifi RF, Thani TS, Habeeb HA.Neck circumference as a marker of obesity and a predictor of cardiometabolic risk among Saudi subjects.  Saudi Med J . 2017 Dec;38(12):1219-1223. doi: 10.15537/smj.2017.12.20926.

https://smj.org.sa/content/smj/38/12/1219.full.pdf

Neck circumference as a marker of obesity and a predictor of cardiometabolic risk among Saudi subjects

SARS-CoV-2 is a recently discovered virus that poses an urgent threat to global health. The disease caused by this virus is termed COVID-19. Death tolls in different countries remain to rise, leading to continuous social distancing and lockdowns. Patients of different ages are susceptible to severe disease, in particular those who have been admitted to an ICU. Machine learning (ML) predictive models based on medical data patterns are an emerging topic in areas such as the prediction of liver diseases. Prediction models that combine several variables or features to estimate the risk of people being infected or experiencing a poor outcome from infection could assist medical staff in the treatment of patients, especially those that develop organ failure such as that of the liver. In this paper, we propose a model called the detecting model for liver damage (DMLD) that predicts the risk of liver damage in COVID-19 ICU patients. The DMLD model applies machine learning algorithms in order to assess the risk of liver failure based on patient data. To assess the DMLD model, collected data were preprocessed and used as input for several classifiers. SVM, decision tree (DT), Naïve Bayes (NB), KNN, and ANN classifiers were tested for performance. SVM and DT performed the best in terms of predicting illness severity based on laboratory testing.

Prediction Model of Adverse Effects on Liver Functions of COVID-19 ICU Patients

Campylobacter hyointestinalis is a causative agent of enteritis, proctitis, human gastroenteritis, and diarrhea. Reported transmission is from pigs to humans. Link with gastrointestinal carcinoma has also been established in non-Helicobacter pylori patients carrying this strain. The genome size of the strain LMG9260 is 1.8 MB with 1785 chromosomal and seven plasmid proteins. No therapeutic targets have been identified and reported in this bacterium. Therefore, subtractive computational screening of its genome was carried out for the purpose. In total, 31 such targets were mined and riboflavin synthase was utilized for screening natural product inhibitors against it. Among more than 30,000 screened natural compounds from the NPASS library, three (NPC472060, NPC33653, and NPC313886) were prioritized to have the potential to be developed into new antimicrobial drugs. Dynamics simulation assay along with other relevant parameters like absorption, toxicity, and distribution of the inhibiting compounds were also predicted and NPC33653 was identified as having the best drug-like properties among the prioritized compounds. Thus, it has potential to be pursued further for the inhibition of riboflavin synthesis in C. hyointestinalis for subsequent obstruction of its growth and survival.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Subtractive sequence-mediated therapeutic targets from the conserved gene clusters of Campylobacter hyointestinalis and computational inhibition assessment.

Unveiling the multitargeted repurposing potential of taxifolin (dihydroquercetin) in cervical cancer: an extensive MM\GBSA-based screening, and MD simulation study

Mohammed A. Makkawi

Papers

Neck circumference as a marker of obesity and a predictor of cardiometabolic risk among Saudi subjects

Prediction Model of Adverse Effects on Liver Functions of COVID-19 ICU Patients

Subtractive sequence-mediated therapeutic targets from the conserved gene clusters of Campylobacter hyointestinalis and computational inhibition assessment.

Unveiling the multitargeted repurposing potential of taxifolin (dihydroquercetin) in cervical cancer: an extensive MM\GBSA-based screening, and MD simulation study