If you can’t button your dress shirt’s collar, you might have a bigger issue than looking sloppy: Guys with big necks may be at higher risk of heart disease, a new study from Brazil found.
After analyzing nearly 4,000 men, the researchers determined the average neck circumference for a guy was about 15 inches.
For each 1-inch increase in neck circumference—say, comparing average-necked guys with those with a 16-inch neck—men were 32 percent more likely to have insulin resistance, 24 percent more likely to have raised blood pressure, 50 percent more likely to have high triglycerides, and 22 percent more likely to have low HDL, or “good” cholesterol.
Fat deposits around your neck can produce inflammatory substances that lead to plaque buildup in the carotid arteries in your neck, which hampers your heart health, says study author Cristina Baena, Ph.D.
Because the relationship is likely due to excess fat hanging out above your shoulders, men with thick necks due to strong, developed trap muscles likely wouldn’t face the same risk.
Your move: Grab a tape measure and see how your neck stacks up.
If your number is larger than 15.3 inches, see your doctor as a preventive measure, Baena says.
Related: 10 Health Numbers You Can Hit This Year
He may want to check your BP and run blood sugar or cholesterol tests. In Baena’s study, men with a neck circumference greater than that were more likely to have 3 or more heart disease risk factors.
