Can your height hurt your heart? Short men may have a greater risk of developing coronary artery disease than taller guys , suggests a new study from the University of Leicester.
The average American male is 5-foot-9. For every 2 inches shorter you are, your risk of heart disease spikes by nearly 14 percent, says study coauthor Steve Burgess, Ph.D.
The researchers also discovered that of the 180 genes known to influence height, many of the ones that contribute to shorter stature also play a role in higher levels of LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol and triglycerides. Both of those factors contribute to the development of coronary plaque, which can raise your risk of heart disease, says coauthor Tim Assimes, M.D., Ph.D.
Another possibility behind the link: Shorter men tend to have smaller hearts, so the smaller blood vessels have a higher chance of getting clogged.
Although this may sound like grim news for short guys, Burgess points out that individual risk doesn’t exactly skyrocket. For example, a 50-year-old average-height man in decent shape already has about a 5 percent risk of having a heart attack before age 60. With the added risk factored in for short men, a 5-foot-5 guy who is the same age ends up with about a 6 percent risk.
And, hey, it’s not all doom and gloom—the researchers point out that shorter people actually have lower cancer risks, possibly because tall folks simply have more cells, meaning there’s a higher chance for cancer-causing mutations.
You can’t do anything about your height. But you can seriously lower your odds of developing heart disease by eating well, exercising regularly, and avoiding cigarettes, Burgess says.
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And don’t forget to pay regular visits to your doc so he or she can check out your blood sugar and blood pressure levels. This information can be used to assess your overall chance of heart disease, so you can take preventive actions if you find you’re at a higher risk, says Dr. Assimes.
