Being short increases risk of heart disease

Short people: more risk of heart disease

The Finnish team at the University of Tampere analysed data on over three million people and discovered that shorter adults were 1.5 times more likely to develop heart disease, die from heart disease or have a heart attack, than their taller counterparts were.

During the study, people under five foot, three inches (1.60 metres) were considered short while those over five foot eight (1.73 metres) were classed as tall. The researchers claimed that being under five foot four if you are a man or shorter than five foot as a woman posed a greater risk of heart related illnesses.

Short men were found to be 37 percent more more likely to die from heart disease than tall men, whilst short women's risk of death was increased by 55 percent when compared to tall women.

According to the Finnish team, shorter people could have smaller blood vessels to the heart that clog more easily. The findings, which were published in the European Heart Journal, also suggested that other factors which can stunt growth, such as poor nutrition during childhood, can also lead to increased risk of heart disease. 

Should short people be worried?

However, according to lead researcher Dr. Tuula Paajanen, short people shout not be alarmed by the results. "Height is only one factor that may contribute to heart disease risk, and whereas people have no control over their height, they can control their weight, as well as lifestyle habits such as smoking, drinking and exercise. All of these together affect their heart disease risk."

She continued: "In addition, because the average height of populations is constantly increasing, this may have a beneficial effect on deaths and illness from cardiovascular disease."

Fotini Rozakeas, a cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said that further research into this "peculiar" link was essential in order to ascertain how reliable height is an indicator of heart disease.

"Whilst height is used to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI) - a marker that might help indicate a risk of heart disease - there are lots of other risk factors to take into account like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes and obesity" said Nurse Rozakeas. "It doesn't matter if you are tall, short or somewhere in between, it's still so important to do regular exercise, eat a healthy and balanced diet, stop smoking and control your weight to protect your heart health."

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