Short stature is associated with incident sudden cardiac death in a large Asian cohort

Few data on the association between height and the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in Asian populations are available.

The purpose of this study was to assess the risk of SCD as related to height both in a representative Korean population and in specific subgroups.

This is a retrospective cohort study of 410,119 Koreans age ≥20 years from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort, who underwent a national health examination. SCD cases were adjudicated based on information within the claims database. Cox proportional hazard models were applied to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association between height and SCD. Potential mediators included demographic factors, health-related habits, and specific cardiovascular comorbidities.

During an 8.45-year follow-up period, a total of 1341 SCDs occurred. Various factors, including short stature, were identified as risk factors for SCD. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that a 10-cm increase in height was associated with a 14% decreased risk for SCD. This relationship remained significant among the elderly, postmenopausal women, and individuals without cardiovascular disease.

Our results indicate that short stature is a significant risk factor for SCD in a Korean population, thus supporting previously published findings correlating height to SCD risk in non-Asian populations.