Abstract
The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between neck circumference-to-height ratio (NHtR) and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in women from Northern China. A total of 553 female patients presenting with suspected CHD due to chest pain at Chengde Central Hospital between 2021 and 2025 were included in the study. Based on coronary angiography results, the participants were categorized into the CHD group and the non-CHD group. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify potential influencing factors. The diagnostic value of NHtR was evaluated using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and the Area Under the Curve (AUC). In the Northern Chinese female population, NHtR is associated with susceptibility to CHD. After adjusting for potential confounders, including age, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and CR, multivariable regression analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between elevated NHtR levels and increased CHD risk (P < 0.05). The correlation heatmap revealed significant associations between NHtR and factors such as age, hypertension, diabetes, and CR. The model exhibited robust discriminative power, with an AUC of 0.728. This study was conducted in a single-center female population in northern China, and the results demonstrate an independent association between NHtR and coronary heart disease. This finding offers a promising biophysical metric for conducting more in-depth research on disease associations within this specific population.
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Data availability
The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to patient privacy reasons but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Abbreviations
- NHtR:
-
Neck circumference to height ratio
- CHD:
-
Coronary heart disease
- PCI:
-
Percutaneous coronary intervention
- CAG:
-
Coronary angiography
- CABG:
-
Coronary artery bypass grafting
- BMI, :
-
Body mass index
- DBP, :
-
Diastolic blood pressure
- WBC, :
-
White blood cells
- Hb, :
-
Hemoglobin
- PLT, :
-
Platelets
- AST, :
-
Aspartate aminotransferase
- UA, :
-
Uric acid
- CR, :
-
Creatinine
- TC, :
-
Total cholesterol
- LDL-C:
-
Low density lipoprotein cholesterol
- ROC:
-
Receiver operating characteristic
- DCA:
-
Decision curve analysis
- AUC:
-
The area under ROC curve
- MCAR:
-
Missing completely at random
- CI:
-
Confidence interval
- OR:
-
Odds ratio
- ACS:
-
Acute coronary syndrome
- NYHA:
-
New York Heart Association
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Acknowledgements
The authors extend sincere thanks to the members of the Chengde Central Hospital for their contribution.
Funding
This research was funded by Medical Science Research Project of Hebei Province (No. 20200348), S&T Program of Chengde (No. 202109A019), and Project for Cultivating Innovative Ability of Postgraduates at Chengde Medical University (No. CYCXZZ202508).
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DL: contributed to the design and conduct of the study, led data validation, project administration, funding acquisition, review and approval of the manuscript, and decision to submit the manuscript for publication. RL and ML: contributed to the collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data, as well as preparation and editing of the manuscript. WX, CJ, HH, JD, and JG: contributed to the collection and management of the data. WW: contributed to the design and conduct of the study, review and approval of the manuscript, and decision to submit the manuscript for publication. All authors contributed to the final version of the manuscript.
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This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Chengde Central Hospital. (Ethics number: ChiCTR2000041499). All participating subjects were fully aware of the trial and signed informed consent. All procedures strictly adhered to the guidelines outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.
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Guo, R., Sun, M., Lin, W. et al. Association between neck circumference to height ratio and coronary heart disease: a case–control study in a Northern Chinese female population. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-40895-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-40895-8
