据参与英国地方心脏病研究项目的研究人员报道，老年人身高变矮多于3厘米（1.18英寸），其心脏病发作和死亡风险则明显增加。该项新的研究结果刊登在《内科杂志》上。
共有4200名男性于1978-1980年期间登记参与了此项研究。研究人员发现，身高变矮大于3厘米的老年人，相对于变矮小于1厘米者，其死亡风险升高64%。科学家们称他们考察了诸如身体健康不良和心脏病等可变因素。该项研究对所有受试者老年期间进行了长达20年的跟踪研究。
科学家发现：
—平均身高变矮1.67厘米；
—33%的身高变矮超过2厘米；
—变矮较多者，包括原来无心血管疾病者，其冠状血管疾病（心脏病发作）风险升高43%。
科学家们称，他们尚不完全清楚为什么老年期间身高变矮可导致心脏病发作和/或死亡过早的风险升高。他们的确知道骨质疏松症是导致较多的死亡的原因，但是，患骨质疏松症的老年人身高变矮约6厘米。
该研究首席科学家Goya Wannamethee博士说，“现已确定了身高变矮与心血管疾病的相关性，那么我们的兴趣所在是弄清楚身高变矮本身是否对死亡率有所影响。身高变矮也是反映健康状况不良的另一指标。
研究人员还发现，身高变矮过多所导致的高死亡率是由于心血管和呼吸道疾病以及其他原因，但不是癌症。
Losing Over 3cm In Height In Old Age Raises Heart Attack Risk
Article Date: 12 Dec 2006 - 9:00am (PST)
An elderly man who loses more than 3cm, 1.18 inches, in height has a significantly greater risk of having a heart attack and dying, say researchers involved in the British Regional Heart Study.
You can read about this new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
In a study involving 4,200 men, who had been enrolled between 1978-1980, the researchers found that those who lost over 3cm had a 64% greater risk of dying, compared to elderly men who lost under 1cm. The scientists say they factored in such variables as poor health and heart disease. The British Regional Heart Study followed all the men up 20 years later when they were elderly.
The scientists found that:
-- The average height loss was 1.67cm
-- 33% of all the men lost over 2cm
-- Higher height loss was linked to a 43% greater chance of having a coronary event (heart attack), this included men who had no previous cardiovascular disease
The scientists say they are not completely sure why a loss in height during old age raises a person's risk of having a heart attack and/or dying early. We do know that osteoporosis is linked to more deaths. However, osteoporosis brings with it a height loss of about 6cm.
Study leader, Dr Goya Wannamethee, said "It's been well established that shortness is associated with cardiovascular disease, so we were interested to see whether height loss itself could influence mortality. It's another indicator of poor health."
The researchers also found that the excess deaths as a result of losing too much height were due to cardiovascular and respiratory conditions and other causes, but not cancer.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=58815
编辑：蓝色幻想
