The Bad And Good Health Benefits Of Being Short

Being short like almost every other thing in life has both positive and negative parts but there are a number of health benefits that short people have over others.
Higher risk of stroke
researchers in Israel looked at more than 10,000 men, and found that the shortest group was 54 percent more likely to have a fatal stroke compared to the tallest.
Furthermore, a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology also found that shorter women were more likely to have a fatal stroke than tall women.
Researchers are still not sure of the link between stature and strokes, but they suspect that poor nutrition during growing years or an altered hormonal pattern could be the link between stunted growth and stroke risk.
Longer life
When researchers examined soldiers who reached 70 years old, they found that men who clocked in at under 5 feet 4 inches lived two years longer than others, according to a study in Biodemography and Social Biology.
A different study from the same research team found that among American men, those who were shorter and lighter lived longer than the taller and heavier ones.
The researchers were however quick to point out that height is just one factor contributing to longevity among other more important ones, such as body weight, genetics, stress, smoking, and drinking habits.
Lower likelihood of blood clots
According to a study in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, if you happen to be below 5 feet 3 inches and have a healthy weight, you are three times less likely to get a blood clot than your tall friends.
Norwegian researchers speculate it’s because the blood has to be pumped a longer distance in taller folks, which could reduce flow and increase risk for a stroke-causing clot.
Also, obesity was an even greater predictor of blood clots than height, so if you’re taller than 5 feet 3 inches and want to lower your risk, it is best to keep your weight in a healthy range.
Riskier Pregnancy
A 2014 study published in Diabetic Medicine Journal by researchers at the City University of New York who looked at more than 220,000 expectant mothers, found that those who were 5 feet 6 inches or those slightly taller than average were anywhere from 18 to 59 percent less likely to develop gestational diabetes (a form of high blood sugar that only affects pregnant women) than 5-foot-2 expectant mothers .
The researchers speculate that the genes of short people somehow affect their glucose tolerance.
Another study conducted in 2017 and published in PLOS Medicine found that being pint-sized and pregnant is associated with an increased risk of having a shorter pregnancy and preterm birth.