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Thursday, June 24, 2010
> @ 6:51 PM
Short people more prone to heart disease 
Short people are 50 per cent likelier than tall people to die prematurely of heart disease, researchers reported in a major review of three million people. The study showed that women under 1.53 metres (5 feet) and men under 1.65m (5 ft 5 in) are significantly more prone to cardiovascular or coronary heart problems than women and men taller than 1.66 (5 ft 6 in) and 1.73 metres (5 ft 8 in), respectively. The findings, published in the European Heart Journal, suggest that short stature should be added to the list of known heart disease risk factors alongside obesity, advanced age and high cholesterol levels, the researchers said. The link between height and heart conditions has been examined in nearly 2,000 studies from around the world over the last 60 years, but evidence remained contradictory. One theory is that shorter people have smaller coronary arteries that may become clogged earlier in life, especially when combined with poor nutrition or infections resulting in poor foetal or childhood growth. Personal thoughts: Short people should not be worried about the new finding as height is only one factor that may contribute to heart disease. Whereas people have no control over their height, they can control their weight, lifestyle habits such as smoking, drinking and exercise. Hence, to prevent having heart problems in early age, we should consume more healthier foods and high in nutrition fruits. Yanling |
