Short stature is associated with higher pulse wave velocity in subjects without overt cardiovascular disease

Short stature is reportedly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the mechanism underlying this intriguing epidemiological finding is unclear. Pulse wave velocity (PWV), a marker of vascular stiffness, is a predictor of future CVD. Therefore, PWV may be affected by height even before overt CVD occurs. Here, we investigated the association between adult height and PWV in subjects without overt CVD. A total of 1019 subjects (48 ± 12 years old; 509 men, 21 with diabetes mellitus, 209 with hypertension) without overt CVD were enrolled, all of whom underwent brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) measurements. The subjects were divided into 3 groups by height. A multiple regression model was used to estimate baPWV values among heights after the adjustment for confounders. Mean baPWV value was highest in the group with the shortest height for both sexes (both P < .001). Bivariate correlation analysis between height and baPWV showed significant correlations in men (r = –0.131, P = .003) and women (r = –0.180, P < .001). In the multiple regression analysis with adjustment for identified confounders, group height was a predictor of baPWV (P for trend = .003) in younger men (<50 years old) but not in older men, while group height was correlated with baPWV in older women (≥50 years old, P for trend = .014) but not in younger women. Height is inversely correlated with baPWV in subjects without overt CVD, especially in younger men and older women. This may explain the historical epidemiological observation of an inverse relationship between height and CVD.