Short people are more likely to develop coronary heart disease—and their risk of suffering from a stroke is higher, too.
A 2015 study found that someone who stands at a petite 5 feet tall is 32 per cent more likely to have heart disease than someone who is around the more average stature of 5″6.
Dr Peter Fotinos, medical director at Male Excel, told The Sun: ‘A large-scale study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that each additional 2.5in (6.5cm) in height was associated with a 13 per cent lower risk of coronary heart disease.
‘Scientists believe this may be partly due to larger arteries and better lung capacity in taller people.’
According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), there has been a 21 per cent rise in the number of people being diagnosed with heart failure since 2020—the highest on record.
The link between height and heart disease was one of several examples which demonstrate a link between how we measure up and catastrophic health issues shared by Dr Fotinos.
He also told the paper that studies found that shorter people are more at risk of suffering a stroke, too.
But being tall isn’t a reason to feel smug about your heart health.
Millions of Britons are at risk of developing heart disease—regardless of their height (file image)
After studying data from 800,000 people from across the world, researchers from Queen Mary University of London concluded that taller people are more likely to have atrial fibrillation— an irregular heartbeat.
The British Heart Foundation says that 1.62 million people have been diagnosed with the condition since 2020.
Height has an important impact on mortality, increasing the risk of a number of diseases, regardless of body fat mass and other influential factors.
Past research has shown tall people have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes than their shorter peers.
Yet, the taller a person is, the greater their risk of certain cancers.
Coronary artery disease, also known as coronary heart disease, is the most commonly diagnosed type of heart disease and affects 2.3million people in the UK.
It occurs when arteries in the heart become narrowed by a build-up of atheroma, a fatty material within their walls.
The pain or discomfort felt from such narrowing is called angina and if a blockage occurs it can cause a heart attack.
Coronary artery disease occurs when arteries in the heart become narrowed (file image)
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In January of this year, a heart surgeon revealed a simple at-home test that could reveal the symptoms coronary heart disease—and if you have a blockage.
In a clip posted to TikTok, US-based cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Jeremy London asked his 494,000 followers: ‘How can you tell that you may have important blockages of the heart arteries without a single blood test, X-ray, or ECG?’
‘Well, not surprisingly, you have to listen to your body.’
He told his followers to do an activity that increases your heart rate, like exercise or intensive housework for a few minutes, and take note of symptoms you experience.
Then, stop and rest, and note if the symptoms continue.
If you experience chest tightness, chest pain, shortness of breath, or pain that radiates from to the arm is felt during activity, but instantly stops when you rest, this is a ‘red flag,’ Dr London said.
Coronary heart disease develops when the blood supply to the heart becomes reduced or blocked.
This generally happens because of the build-up of fatty deposits, called plaque, inside the arteries that supply the heart, making them narrower and restricting the vital flow of blood.