According to a new study, people who are shorter have an increased risk of developing heart disease. The researchers say that this is because the genes that are determine the height of a person can also affect the cholesterol levels, especially when it comes to men patients.
This is not the first time scientists discover that a person’s height is somehow related to the risk of having heart problems. Studies have shown that shorter people are usually more susceptible to heart attacks, diabetes and high blood pressure, compared to taller people, but no one really knew the reason behind it, until now.
The latest study looked at the genetic data of the patients, which is one of the factors present since we’re born. According to the experts, approximately 180 variations of genes are responsible for a person’s height.
Dr. Nilesh Samani, from the University of Leicester in England and one of the scientists involved in the new study, explained that someone’s DNA cannot be changed by one’s socio-economic background or lifestyle.
Dr. Samani added that the new study associates a shorter height with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
Recent reports suggest that coronary heart disease is one of the most common causes of death worldwide.
In order to come to the conclusion that shorter people are more at risk of heart disease, the scientists collected data from around the world form more than 65,000 people who had a history of heart disease. Out of the 65,000 patients, two-thirds had already suffered from a heart attack. The patients were compared to a different group of 128,000 people.
The researchers verified if the stature played an important role in developing heart disease. According to their studies, the risk of coronary disease, like clogged arteries, rose by 13.5% with each 6.5cm decrease in height.
The scientists wanted to see why this happens and found that out of 12 risk factors, 2 were related to the genes that determine height. These factors are LDL, or the bad cholesterol, and triglycerides, which is a type of fat found in the blood.
Dr Christopher Nelson, from the British Heart Foundation, explained that:
“The more height increasing genetic variants that you carry the lower your risk of coronary heart disease and conversely if you were genetically shorter the higher your risk.”
The message of the study, according to the researchers, is that shorter people should be more careful about their lifestyle and should avoid the risk factors that lead to coronary diseases.
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