homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Shorter people are more likely to get heart disease - every inch counts

The same genes that are responsible for height have been linked to heart disease as well, according to British researchers who found shorter people are at a greater risk. For every 2.5 inch difference in height, the chance of contracting a heart disease increases by 13.5 percent. In other words, 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.

Tibi Puiu
April 9, 2015 @ 9:34 am

share Share

The same genes that are responsible for height have been linked to heart disease as well, according to British researchers who found shorter people are at a greater risk. For every 2.5 inch difference in height, the chance of contracting a heart disease increases by 13.5 percent. In other words, 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.

tall and short people

Credit: Pixgood

The team made in-depth genetic analyses of 18,000 people and identified a number of genes that play a role in human growth and development. Some of these, however, are linked with heart disease. This is something that has long been presumed, but only now confirmed with tantalizing evidence.

“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.

Yet, while they’ve found an association, the exact cause and effect relationship has yet to be identified. Doctors are now speculating what might be happening. It may be the case that some of these genes are affecting the growth of   cells in the artery walls and the heart, making them more prone to clogging ( atherosclerosis). Other genes appear to be linked to inflammation in the body, which is another risk factor for heart disease, Dr. Ronald Krauss, director of atherosclerosis research at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute in California who was not involved in the study.

Interestingly, the effect of height on heart disease risk may be gender-specific. “We found a clear-cut effect in men, but we didn’t see a clear-cut effect in women,” Samani said, adding that significantly fewer women in the study could have affected the statistics which appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.

share Share

Coolness Isn’t About Looks or Money. It’s About These Six Things, According to Science

New global study reveals the six traits that define coolness around the world.

Ancient Roman Pompeii had way more erotic art than you'd think

Unfortunately, there are few images we can respectably share here.

Wild Orcas Are Offering Fish to Humans and Scientists Say They May Be Trying to Bond with Us

Scientists recorded 34 times orcas offered prey to humans over 20 years.

No Mercury, No Cyanide: This is the Safest and Greenest Way to Recover Gold from E-waste

A pool cleaner and a spongy polymer can turn used and discarded electronic items into a treasure trove of gold.

This $10 Hack Can Transform Old Smartphones Into a Tiny Data Center

The throwaway culture is harming our planet. One solution is repurposing billions of used smartphones.

Doctors Discover 48th Known Blood Group and Only One Person on Earth Has It

A genetic mystery leads to the discovery of a new blood group: “Gwada negative.”

More Than Half of Intersection Crashes Involve Left Turns. Is It Time To Finally Ban Them?

Even though research supports the change, most cities have been slow to ban left turns at even the most congested intersections.

A London Dentist Just Cracked a Geometric Code in Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man

A hidden triangle in the vitruvian man could finally explain one of da Vinci's greatest works.

The Story Behind This Female Pharaoh's Broken Statues Is Way Weirder Than We Thought

New study reveals the ancient Egyptian's odd way of retiring a pharaoh.

China Resurrected an Abandoned Soviet 'Sea Monster' That's Part Airplane, Part Hovercraft

The Soviet Union's wildest aircraft just got a second life in China.