Observing that short people suffer more hypertension and diabetes than average and have more heart attacks, scientists from the University of Leicester (UK) have tried to understand the reasons.
A link between waist and heart
The researchers thus analyzed the impact of height on the risk of heart attacks by testing a panel of 200,000 men and women. Results: They found the DNA fragment that links the waistline to the heart.
To support the results of their study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists hypothesized that the genes that affect height also affect the development of blood vessels and the fat storage, hence a higher probability of making a heart attack.
Reduction of cardiovascular risk with an additional 6.5 cm
Research has put forward the idea that 6.4 cm more can reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease by 13%. For example, a person measuring 1.50 m has an average risk of cardiovascular disease 32% higher than someone who is 1.65 m.
However, these results should be handled with caution according to the English Heart Disease Foundation, which wants to avoid sowing panic in people of short stature.
Smoking increases heart risk by 200-300%
“In this same context, the smoking increases the risk by 200 to 300%, whatever the size of the person, “Professor Sir Nilesh Samani of the University of Leicester told the BBC website.
“Small people have no reason to worry, reassures Peter Weissberg, professor and medical director at the English Heart Disease Foundation. They must continue to lead a healthy lifestyle, by maintaining a balanced diet, by practicing a regular sport activity and in quitting smoking, just like any other person “.
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