Height and risk of myocardial infarction in The Tromsø Study 1979-2021

Short height and low educational level are associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction. We aimed to investigate the relationship between height and myocardial infarction in women and men with subsequent analyses by educational levels in a Norwegian population.

Data from 30,167 participants (born 1930-1977), who attended The Tromsø Study between 1979 and 2016 with follow-up until 31 December 2021, were used in this study. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the associations between height and incident myocardial infarction. Additionally, we estimated hazard ratios with restricted cubic splines and conducted analyses stratified by educational level.

Height as continuous and categorical variables was inversely associated with risk of myocardial infarction in both sexes. One standard deviation taller height was associated with 18% lower risk of myocardial infarction in women, and 13% lower risk in men (p=0.02). Similarly, the taller height categories had lower myocardial infarction risk compared with the shorter height categories. Adjustments for traditional cardiovascular risk factors as possible mediators slightly attenuated these associations. We found no difference in associations between height and myocardial infarction across educational levels.

Height was inversely associated with myocardial infarction in women and men. Associations were stronger in women compared with men, suggesting that taller height may be a greater advantage in women than in men. Our study adds new knowledge about height and myocardial infarction for the period between 1979 and 2021 in Norway.