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Genetics of coronary artery disease: Short people at risk?

Teresa Trenkwalder1, Thorsten Kessler1, Heribert Schunkert1,2

  • 1a 1 Klinik für Herz- und Kreislauferkrankungen, Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.

Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy
|September 29, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Short adult stature may causally increase coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. Genetic analysis of height-associated variants in over 190,000 individuals suggests a link between short stature and CAD.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Genetics
  • Human Genetics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Traditional cardiovascular risk factors are well-established for coronary artery disease (CAD).
  • Short adult stature is a recognized, non-modifiable risk marker for CAD, but its causal role remains debated due to potential confounders.
  • Genetic studies offer a method to investigate causal links by analyzing height-associated genetic variants, bypassing direct height measurements and confounding factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential causal relationship between short stature and the risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD).
  • To leverage genetic variants associated with height to assess CAD risk independently of traditional risk factors and confounding variables.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a large-scale genetic association study.
  • Examined 180 genetic variants known to be associated with adult height.
  • Analyzed data from 65,066 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and 128,383 healthy controls.

Main Results:

  • The study suggests a causal relationship between short stature and an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD).
  • Genetic variants influencing height were associated with CAD risk, indicating a potential biological link.
  • Identified complex interactions involving growth signaling pathways and pleiotropic effects of height-related genetic variants on lipid levels.

Conclusions:

  • Short adult stature may be a causal risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD).
  • The association between height and CAD risk is likely influenced by multiple biological pathways, including those affecting growth and lipid metabolism.
  • Genetic analysis provides robust evidence supporting a causal link between genetically influenced short stature and increased CAD risk.

Keywords:
Mendelian randomization studyatherosclerosiscoronary artery diseasegenome-wide association studiesheightmyocardial infarctionshort stature

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