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Coronary artery disease

Complex association between height and CHD—size matters

Meta-analyses and large population-based studies have linked shorter body height with increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). This complex association is now confirmed at the gene level, indicating that genetic variants affecting body height and associated with short stature seem to have independent roles as risk factors for CHD.

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Figure 1: Trends among conscripts in average body height and male CHD mortality per 100,000 male population in Finland.

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Correspondence to Pekka J. Karhunen.

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Karhunen, P., Meinander, T. Complex association between height and CHD—size matters. Nat Rev Cardiol 12, 385–386 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2015.80

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