Height linked to heart health

(ANSA) - Rome, April 9 - An epidemiological study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday showed a genetic link between height and cardiovascular health, with taller people less likely to suffer from heart disease.
    The study of 65,000 heart patients and 128,000 people without heart disease found genetic links between height and cardiovascular health, the first time a study has proven a conclusive correlation.
    It was conducted by a team that included leading Italian doctor Giovanni Veronesi and led by Nilesh Samani of the University of Leicester in Britain showed.
    According to the study, with each increase of 6.5 inches, the risk of heart disease is reduced by 13.5%. The authors stressed that the risk factor in shortness in stature is significantly less than that of smoking and obesity.