Overview

• An analysis of roughly 4,000 Framingham Heart Study participants reported higher incident atrial fibrillation in men with necks 17 inches or larger and women at 14 inches or larger.
• The Framingham findings held after adjusting for BMI, waist circumference, height and weight, with the association strongest among people with obesity.
• A Shanghai cohort of 1,435 adults followed for a mean 7.6 years found a 1.45‑fold increase in cardiovascular events for every one standard deviation rise in neck circumference.
• Researchers note links between larger necks and diabetes, insulin resistance and high blood pressure, as well as obstructive sleep apnoea that itself elevates Afib risk.
• Investigators describe neck measurement as a simple potential screening tool and outline practical methods for measuring it, while calling for further validation before routine use.