Short people may be more likely to have heart disease, and that increased risk could be linked to the genetics that also determine height, a British-led research team suggests.
A person's risk of heart disease increases about 13.5 percent for every 2.5 inches of difference in height, the scientists said. That means a 5-foot-tall person has an average 32 percent higher risk of heart disease than a person who's 5-foot 6-inches tall, according to the researchers.
An in-depth genetic analysis of more than 18,000 people revealed a number of genes linked to human growth and development that likely play a role in the increased risk for heart disease, according to HealthDay online.
"We found that people who carry those genetic variants that lower your height and make you shorter are more likely to develop coronary heart disease," said Dr. Nilesh Samani, a professor of cardiology and head of the department of cardiovascular sciences at the University of Leicester in England.
However, while the current study was able to show an association between genetics, height and a higher risk of heart disease, it wasn't able to prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
The research team first tested the association between a change in height and risk of coronary artery disease by examining 180 different height-associated genetic variants in nearly 200,000 people, and concluded there's a relative 13.5 percent increase in heart disease risk for every 2.5 inches shaved off a person's height.
They then drilled down to very specific individual genetic data from a smaller pool of more than 18,000 people. They identified a number of pathways by which genes related to height could also influence heart disease risk.
Source: QNA