Shorter People More Prone to Heart Attacks

Body size has a lot to do with longevity and the risk of heart attack. A study from the University of Tampre in Finland found that men shorter than 5'6" and women shorter than 5 feet were 1.5 times more likely to develop coronary artery disease than taller people and had a 52 percent higher chance of having a heart attack. They also had a 55 percent chance of dying prematurely from all causes.

The researchers speculated that smaller people have smaller arteries that are more easily clogged with plaque. Their conclusions were based on a meta-analysis of 52 studies. Shorter people should pay extra attention to modifiable risk factors of heart disease such as lack of exercise, obesity, smoking, and high-fat diets. (European Heart Journal, 31: 1802-1809, 2010)