Short height confers bigger heart risk

According to the findings of a new study, people with short stature, defined as below 5ft for women and 5ft 5ins for men in the study, stand a 50 percent higher risk of heart problem or death vis-à-vis their taller counterparts.

The study established that the results were true for both genders.

Details of the study
The study, conducted by the researchers at the University of Tampere in Finland, entailed the review of 52 previous studies, involving over three million people.

Dr Tuula Paajanen, lead author of the study maintained that while the correlation between short height and higher risk of heart problem had been established, the reasons for the same were not easily discernable.

Reasons for possible linkup
One possible reason could be the problems with blood flow in short people, given their smaller coronary arteries, opined Dr Paajanen.

Dr. Jake Tuomilehto, a professor from University of Helsinki public health department and a co-author in the study meanwhile suggested that pitiable nourishment in early life tends to impact adulthood.

Poorly nourished children, either in the womb or after birth, tend to grow more slowly vis-à-vis their counterparts who were born with a silver spoon in their mouth or who have had a healthy nutrition.

Even if the former category gain weight and height and be at par with the healthier ones, they amass surplus fat which can trigger heart disease.

“People have no control over their height or genetics, [but] they can control their weight and lifestyle habits such as smoking, drinking, and exercise,” maintains Tuomilehto.

“All of these together affect heart disease risk. The more risk factors you have, the more effort you should concentrate to reduce the risk factors you can,” noted Tuomilehto.

The findings, featuring in the current issue of the European Heart Journal, have called for a revision to the list of known heart disease risk factors.

Alongside obesity, advanced age, high cholesterol levels and lifestyle habits, short stature should also be given equal risk weightage, the researchers said.

Meanwhile, Fotini Rozakeas, of the British Heart Foundation, opined that more research needs to be done on the subject before arriving at a conclusion on the possible link between height and heart disease.