Background:　Neck　circumference　(NC),　representing　upper　body　subcutaneous　adipose　tissue,　may　be　correlated　with　increased　risk　of　overweight/obesity,　obstructive　sleep　apnoea,　and　metabolic　and　cardiovascular　disease.　However,　the　relationship　between　NC　and　the　incidence　of　congestive　heart　failure　(CHF)　or　mortality　due　to　coronary　heart　disease　(CHD)　in　a　community-based　population　with　and　without　sleep-disordered　breathing　(SDB)　has　not　yet　been　clarified.　Methods:　We　performed　a　prospective　study　using　the　Sleep　Heart　Health　Study　(SHHS)　cohort.　Cox　proportional　hazards　regression　models　were　used　to　estimate　the　association　of　different　levels　of　NC　with　CHF　incidence　or　CHD　mortality　in　2234　individuals　with　SDB　and　2199　without　SDB,　respectively.　Results:　After　adjusting　for　age,　sex,　and　body　mass　index　(BMI),　NC　was　significantly　associated　with　CHF　when　comparing　the　highest　NC　quartile　group　with　the　lowest　(hazard　ratio,　HR,　2.265,　95%　confidence　interval,　CI,　1.074-4.777)　in　the　non-SDB　population.　This　association　diminished　after　further　adjustment　for　other　risk　factors,　but　remained　statistically　significant,　with　an　adjusted　HR　of　1.082　(95%　CI　1.003-1.166)　per　unit　increase　in　NC.　Additionally,　after　adjustment　for　age,　sex,　and　BMI,　NC　was　also　shown　to　be　remarkably　associated　with　CHD　mortality　(HR　1.141,　95%　CI　1.014-1.282)　per　unit　increase　in　NC　in　the　non-SDB　population　but　not　in　the　SDB　population.　After　adjustment　for　all　the　covariates,　there　was　a　significant　association　between　NC　and　CHD　death　in　those　without　SDB,　with　an　adjusted　HR　of　1.134　(95%　CI　1.001-1.284)　per　unit　increase　in　NC.　Conclusions:　NC　may　correlate　with　CHF　incidence　and　CHD　mortality　in　population　without　SDB.　NC　measurement　may　help　risk　stratification　for　cardiovascular　diseases.