Influence of height, leg and trunk length on pulse pressure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the effects of height, leg and trunk length on pulse pressure (PP), systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in men and women.


METHODS
Prospective, population-based, birth cohort study.


METHODS
England, Scotland and Wales.


METHODS
A total of 1472 men and 1563 women aged 53 years and followed since their birth in 1946.


METHODS
PP, SBP and DBP at age 53 years.


RESULTS
PP increased linearly with decreasing height and leg length in men and women [shortest compared with the tallest height (leg length) group, men 54.6 versus 51.0 mmHg (55.8 versus 50.7 mmHg), women 52.9 versus 48.4 mmHg (53.3 versus 48.6 mmHg); P for trend < or = 0.001 in each case]. Adjustment for adult confounding factors and childhood social class or birth weight only slightly weakened these results (P for trend < or = 0.01 in each case). SBP, but not DBP, showed similar but weaker trends in men and women, except for the association with height in men, which lost statistical significance after adjustment. Trunk length was not associated with any outcome measure in men or women.


CONCLUSIONS
Short height and leg length are associated with increased PP and SBP, but not DBP, in middle-aged men and women. PP is a potential mediator between short height and leg length and increased risk of coronary heart disease. Future studies of the association between shortness and coronary heart disease should consider the role of arterial hemodynamics.
Langenberg
Claudia
C
MRC National Survey of Health and Development, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Royal Free and University College London Medical School, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1 6BT, UK. c.langenberg@ucl.ac.uk
Hardy
Rebecca
R
Kuh
Diana
D
Wadsworth
Michael E
ME
D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007866:Leg / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology