Shorter height could mean a higher risk of heart disease

People who are shorter in height have a higher chance of getting heart disease, according to a new study.

Every 2.5 inches reduced the risk of heart disease by up to 13.5 percent, according to the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers had been aware of the inverse relationship between heart disease and height, but they hadn't yet determined the underlying source mechanisms.

For the study, they assessed more than 65,000 participants who had coronary artery disease, a form of heart disease where major blood vessels become damaged or blocked due to plaque build up, and 128,000 people who did not have it.

The team found, based on an examination of height-related genes, that the ones responsible for limiting height were also allowing more fat and cholesterol to enter the vessels.

Overall, those with the least amount of tall genetic markers had a 74 percent greater chance of having coronary artery disease than their counterparts with the most amount.

Researchers emphasize that this is only one of the potential factors pertaining to heart disease and others such as smoking have a far greater influence on heart health.

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