Do Short People Have a Greater Risk of Heart Disease?
Do Short People Have a Greater Risk of Heart Disease? A new study found that risk of coronary artery disease decreased in taller people.
For the study, researchers looked at 65,000 patients with coronary artery disease, in which plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. They compared them with 128,000 people who did not have the disease, by analyzing 180 genetic markers that affect height to see if there is a link between height and the disease.
Researchers found that every 2.5-inch increase in height was associated with a 13.5 decrease in risk for coronary artery disease. The link was found only in men and not in women. The study also found that shorter people had higher cholesterol and fat levels, which contribute to heart disease. The new study confirms earlier studies that found that shorter people are more likely to die from heart problems.
Many factors, including lifestyle, affect coronary artery disease, according to researcher Dr. Nilesh Samani, a professor of cardiology at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom. But this study shows that, the increased risk based on height is at least partly doe to genetics.
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