Neck-to-height ratio is positively associated with left ventricular mass index in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes

Background The relationship between fat distribution, specifically visceral adipose tissue and subcutaneous fat, and the parameters of left ventricular structure has shown inconsistent findings. Interestingly, the role of neck circumference, a surrogate for upper-body subcutaneous fat, in these parameters is less explored. This research seeks to evaluate the neck-to-height ratio (NHR) as a potential phenotypic indicator for cardiac structure evaluation in type 2 diabetes patients. It particularly focuses on examining how the NHR correlates with parameters of the left ventricular structure. Methods This observational study encompassed 1074 individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, who were evaluated or treated at the Second Affiliated Hospital of the School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2020. The participants were categorized into three cohorts according to their NHR levels. Statistical analysis of normally distributed data involved one-way ANOVA, whereas the Kruskal-Wallis test was applied for data not following normal distribution. Further, multivariate linear regression analysis was utilized to explore correlations between NHR and the left ventricular mass index (LVMI). Additionally, subgroup analyses and interaction tests were conducted to further investigate these relationships. Results Analysis indicated the association between NHR and various parameters of left ventricular structure. Through multivariate linear regression, a significant positive correlation emerged between NHR and LVMI (LV mass/height².⁷) (β = 39.95, P = 0.003), further regression analysis, adjusting for potential confounders, confirmed a consistent positive trend between NHR and LVMI (P for trend = 0.004). Extensive subgroup analysis demonstrated that age, gender, and varying criteria for obesity assessment did not significantly alter the observed correlation between NHR and LVMI. Conclusions In this cohort of Chinese patients with T2DM, a notable rise in NHR was observed to correlate positively and independently with an increase in LVMI. Clinical trial number Not applicable.