On 2015 Jun 02, thomas samaras commented:

Many facts challenge the thesis that taller people have an inherent advantage in relation to coronary heart disease (CHD) or cardiovascular disease (CVD). Some of these facts follow: (See references 1-3).

1. The World Cancer Research Fund reported that during industrialization, height and CHD increased.

2. Taller northern Europeans had a 40% higher CHD mortality vs. shorter southern Europeans.

3. Many short populations (< 5” to 5’4”) had no evidence of CHD or stroke.

4. US Asians had the lowest CHD death rate compared to taller ethnic groups. (Based on about 8 million deaths.)

5. Osika and Montgomery found that among low income people, taller adults had a 39% higher risk of CHD vs. shorter adults.

6. Based on over 1 million WW I recruits, taller recruits had more heart problems.

7. A study found Sicilian centenarians were short and free of CVD risk factors.
   

8. WHO reported Europeans and Americans had low CHD in the early 1900s. They were also shorter than
   today by 2 to 4 inches.
   

9. A large Chinese study found that shorter rural Chinese had lower CHD risk compared to taller
   rural men and women.
   

10. Great Danes have 70 times the risk of heart failure compared to shorter miniature Dachshunds.
    

11. I have found 15 biological factors that favor shorter height and proportionately lower weight. (Assumes similar lifestyle and environment.) These include longer telomeres, lower left ventricular mass, lower blood pressure, higher HDL, lower pulse wave velocity, lower homocysteine, higher sex hormone binding globulin, and lower C-reactive protein. All of these are related to cardiovascular disease.

Recent longevity papers also support the preceding material.See references 4-7.

References

1 Samaras, TT. Is short height really a risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke mortality? A review. Med Sci Monit 2004; 10(4): RA63-76.

2 Samaras TT. Shorter height is related to lower cardiovascular disease risk-A narrative review. Indian Heart Journal 2013; 65: 66-71.

3 Samaras TT (Ed): Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling: Physiological Performance, Growth, Longevity and Ecological Ramifications. New York: Nova Science Pub; 2007.

4 Samaras TT. Evidence from eight different types of studies showing that smaller body size is related to greater longevity. Journal of Scientific Research & Reports. 2014: 3 (16): 2150-2160, 2014; article no. JSRR.2014.16.003.

5 He Q, Morris BJ, Grove JS, Petrovitch H, Ross W, Masaki KH, et al. Shorter men live longer: Association of height with longevity and FOXO3 genotype in American men of Japanese ancestry. 2014. Plos ONE 9(5): e94385. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0094385.

6 Salaris L, Poulain M, Samaras TT. Height and survival at older ages among men born in an inland village in Sardinia (Italy), 1866-2006. Biodemography and Social Biology, 58:1, 1-13.

7 Bartke A. Healthy Aging: Is Smaller better? A mini-review. Gerontology 2012; 58:337-43.

On 2015 Jun 02, thomas samaras commented:

Many facts challenge the thesis that taller people have an inherent advantage in relation to coronary heart disease (CHD) or cardiovascular disease (CVD). Some of these facts follow: (See references 1-3).

1. The World Cancer Research Fund reported that during industrialization, height and CHD increased.

2. Taller northern Europeans had a 40% higher CHD mortality vs. shorter southern Europeans.

3. Many short populations (< 5” to 5’4”) had no evidence of CHD or stroke.

4. US Asians had the lowest CHD death rate compared to taller ethnic groups. (Based on about 8 million deaths.)

5. Osika and Montgomery found that among low income people, taller adults had a 39% higher risk of CHD vs. shorter adults.

6. Based on over 1 million WW I recruits, taller recruits had more heart problems.

7. A study found Sicilian centenarians were short and free of CVD risk factors.
   

8. WHO reported Europeans and Americans had low CHD in the early 1900s. They were also shorter than
   today by 2 to 4 inches.
   

9. A large Chinese study found that shorter rural Chinese had lower CHD risk compared to taller
   rural men and women.
   

10. Great Danes have 70 times the risk of heart failure compared to shorter miniature Dachshunds.
    

11. I have found 15 biological factors that favor shorter height and proportionately lower weight. (Assumes similar lifestyle and environment.) These include longer telomeres, lower left ventricular mass, lower blood pressure, higher HDL, lower pulse wave velocity, lower homocysteine, higher sex hormone binding globulin, and lower C-reactive protein. All of these are related to cardiovascular disease.

Recent longevity papers also support the preceding material.See references 4-7.

References

1 Samaras, TT. Is short height really a risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke mortality? A review. Med Sci Monit 2004; 10(4): RA63-76.

2 Samaras TT. Shorter height is related to lower cardiovascular disease risk-A narrative review. Indian Heart Journal 2013; 65: 66-71.

3 Samaras TT (Ed): Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling: Physiological Performance, Growth, Longevity and Ecological Ramifications. New York: Nova Science Pub; 2007.

4 Samaras TT. Evidence from eight different types of studies showing that smaller body size is related to greater longevity. Journal of Scientific Research & Reports. 2014: 3 (16): 2150-2160, 2014; article no. JSRR.2014.16.003.

5 He Q, Morris BJ, Grove JS, Petrovitch H, Ross W, Masaki KH, et al. Shorter men live longer: Association of height with longevity and FOXO3 genotype in American men of Japanese ancestry. 2014. Plos ONE 9(5): e94385. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0094385.

6 Salaris L, Poulain M, Samaras TT. Height and survival at older ages among men born in an inland village in Sardinia (Italy), 1866-2006. Biodemography and Social Biology, 58:1, 1-13.

7 Bartke A. Healthy Aging: Is Smaller better? A mini-review. Gerontology 2012; 58:337-43.