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Short stature and ischemic stroke in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: new insight into the old observation

Jeonggeun Moon1, Hye-Jeong Lee2, Young Jin Kim2

  • 1Cardiology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, Incheon, Republic of Korea; Graduate School, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

International Journal of Cardiology
|May 13, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Short stature is linked to a higher risk of ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). This study highlights height as a non-modifiable stroke risk factor, potentially more significant than obesity in certain populations.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Established inverse relationship between stature and cardiovascular disease, including stroke.
  • Limited evaluation of this association in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the association between patient height and ischemic stroke risk in nonvalvular AF.
  • Explore potential underlying mechanisms for this relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Enrolled 558 patients with nonvalvular AF (211 with ischemic stroke, 347 controls).
  • Compared clinical characteristics and echocardiographic parameters between stroke and no-stroke groups.

Main Results:

  • Stroke patients were significantly shorter than controls (164 vs. 169 cm).
  • Short stature, left atrial (LA) diameter, and elevated E/E' were independent predictors of stroke.
  • Height showed an inverse correlation with E/E', indicating diastolic dysfunction, independent of other factors.

Conclusions:

  • Short stature is associated with ischemic stroke and diastolic dysfunction in AF patients with preserved systolic function.
  • Height represents a non-modifiable stroke risk factor, potentially outweighing obesity in Asian AF populations.
Abstract

Keywords:
Atrial fibrillationDiastolic functionEchocardiographyHeightStroke

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