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Short stature is associated with low flow-mediated vasodilation in Japanese men

Hypertension Research volume 45, pages 308–314 (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

An inverse association between height and the risk of cardiovascular disease has been reported. The objective of this study was to examine the association between height and endothelial function assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD). We evaluated cross-sectional associations of height with FMD in 7682 Japanese men. All participants were divided into four groups based on height: <155.0 cm, 155.0–164.9 cm, 165.0–174.9 cm, and ≥175.0 cm. Subjects in a lower quartile of FMD were defined as subjects having low FMD values. Univariate regression analysis revealed that height was significantly correlated with FMD (r = 0.14, p < 0.001). FMD values were 4.6 ± 3.1% in the <155.0 cm group, 5.2 ± 3.1% in the 155.0–164.9 cm group, 5.7 ± 3.1% in the 165.0–174.9 cm group and 6.1 ± 3.2% in the ≥175.0 cm group. FMD significantly increased in relation to an increase in height. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that higher height groups were significantly associated with a decreased risk of low FMD value compared with the <155.0 cm group after adjustments for age, presence of hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, current smoking, and brachial artery diameter. FMD was low in subjects with a short stature compared with that in subjects with tall stature. Individuals with a short stature may require intensive interventions to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.

Clinical Trial Registration Information: URL for Clinical Trials: http://www.umin.ac.jp Registration Number for Clinical Trials: UMIN000012952.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all of the patients who participated in this study. In addition, we thank Miki Kumiji, Megumi Wakisaka, Ki-ichiro Kawano and Satoko Michiyama for their excellent secretarial assistance; FMD-J investigators Takayuki Hidaka, MD, PhD; Shuji Nakamura, MD, PhD; Junko Soga, MD, PhD; Yuichi Fujii, MD, PhD; Naomi Idei, MD; Noritaka Fujimura, MD, PhD; Shinsuke Mikami, MD, PhD; Yumiko Iwamoto, MD; Akimichi Iwamoto, MD, PhD; Takeshi Matsumoto, MD, PhD; Nozomu Oda, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan); Kana Kanai, PhD; Haruka Morimoto, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular Regeneration and Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan); Tomohisa Sakashita, MD, PhD; Yoshiki Kudo, MD, PhD (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan); Taijiro Sueda, MD, PhD (Department of Surgery, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan); Hirofumi Tomiyama, MD, PhD, FAHA; Akira Yamashina, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan); Bonpei Takase, MD, PhD, FAHA (Division of Biomedical Engineering, National Defense Medical College Research Institute, Tokorozawa, Japan); Takahide Kohro, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan); Toru Suzuki, MD, PhD (Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK); Tomoko Ishizu, MD, PhD (Cardiovascular Division, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan); Shinichiro Ueda, MD, PhD (Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of the Ryukyu School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan); Tsutomu Yamazaki, MD, PhD (Clinical Research Support Center, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan); Tomoo Furumoto, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan); Kazuomi Kario, MD, PhD (Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan); Teruo Inoue, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan); Shinji Koba, MD, PhD (Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan); Kentaro Watanabe, MD, PhD (Department of Neurology, Hematology, Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetology (DNHMED), Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan); Yasuhiko Takemoto, MD, PhD (Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan); Takuzo Hano, MD, PhD (Department of Medical Education and Population-based Medicine, Postgraduate School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan); Masataka Sata, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan); Yutaka Ishibashi, MD, PhD (Department of General Medicine, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, Izumo, Japan); Koichi Node, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan); Koji Maemura, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan); Yusuke Ohya, MD, PhD (The Third Department of Internal Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan); Taiji Furukawa, MD, PhD (Department of Internal Medicine, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan); Hiroshi Ito, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Japan); and Hisao Ikeda, MD, PhD (Faculty of Fukuoka Medical Technology, Teikyo University, Omuta, Japan).

Funding

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Numbers 18590815 and 21590898 to YH and JP19K17599 to MK) and a Grant in Aid of Japanese Arteriosclerosis Prevention Fund (to YH).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan

    Takahiro Harada, Takayuki Yamaji, Yu Hashimoto & Yukiko Nakano

  2. Division of Regeneration and Medicine, Medical Center for Translational and Clinical Research, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan

    Masato Kajikawa, Kenichi Yoshimura & Yukihito Higashi

  3. Department of Cardiovascular Regeneration and Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan

    Tatsuya Maruhashi, Shinji Kishimoto, Yiming Han, Aya Mizobuchi, Farina Mohamad Yusoff & Yukihito Higashi

  4. Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan

    Kazuaki Chayama

  5. Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of General Rehabilitation, Hiroshima International University, Hiroshima, Japan

    Chikara Goto

  6. Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan

    Ayumu Nakashima

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  1. Takahiro Harada
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Contributions

The study was designed by TH, MK, and YH. Data correction was conducted by TH, TY, YH, MK, CG. YH, AM, FMY, SK, TM, and AN. Data analysis and interpretation were conducted by YN, KY, and KC. Manuscript was written and approved by all authors.

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Correspondence to Yukihito Higashi.

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Harada, T., Kajikawa, M., Maruhashi, T. et al. Short stature is associated with low flow-mediated vasodilation in Japanese men. Hypertens Res 45, 308–314 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-021-00785-0

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