Who is healthier: high or low men?

Can growth influence the heart? According to a recent study conducted at the University of Leicester, the risk of developing coronary heart disease in low men is much greater than that of high.

How are the growth and health of the heart related?

The growth of an average male is 175 cm. If you are at least 5 centimeters lower, the risk that you can get ischemic disease increases by 14%, says study co-author Steve Burgess.

The researchers also found that of the 180 genes that affect growth, many of those that caused low growth are also responsible for elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Both of these factors contribute to the development of ischemic plaque, which increases the risk of heart disease, says co-author Tim Asimes, MD.

Another problem is that the heart of a small man is smaller in size, so small blood vessels are more likely to be clogged.

Impact of individual risks

While this may seem like a grim news for the low-end guys, Burgess says that individual risks do not exactly increase. For example, a 50-year-old man of medium height and in good shape has only 5% of the risk that by the age of 60 he can get coronary disease. At the same time, a taller man of the same age, but in the worst possible form, already has a 6% risk of developing the same disease.

In addition, researchers note that lower people are less at risk of developing cancer. Perhaps the fact is that tall people have more cells, which means that there are more chances for different mutations.

You can not change your growth in any way. But you can reduce the risk of heart disease if you eat good food, exercise regularly and avoid bad habits, especially smoking, says Burgess.