Short report Adult height is inversely associated with ischaemic stroke. The Caerphilly and Speedwell Collaborative Studies

There is much interest in the association between exposures over the life course and risk of later disease. Attained adult height is determined by both genetic potential and growth in childhood. The latter is a useful marker of childhood circumstances, and consequently if associations between adult height and stroke are found they provide support for the hypothesis that exposures acting in childhood are important determinants of risk of stroke. Findings on this have been mixed although more recent studies have reported inverse associations for risk of stroke in men. 2 A British study reported similar, although less impressive, associations. Only one of these studies could distinguish between ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes, but adjustment for socioeconomic position—an important potential confounder—could not be made. We report on the association between attained height and risk of stroke in a representative sample of middle age British men. Methods and results From a representative population sample of 5368 men aged 45–59 years in South Wales and South West England 4861 (90.5%), participated in a baseline survey in 1979–83. Detailed questionnaire and clinical examination data were collected. Height was measured using a Holtain stadiometer. Study subjects have been flagged on the National Health Service Central Register in Southport and this analysis is based on events from enrolment up to the end of 1997. Self reports of possible cerebrovascular events were supplemented by medical records, including postmortem reports. Strokes were classified as either ischaemic or haemorrhagic by two independent assessors using standard methods with all available clinical and pathological information (unpublished data). Analyses were carried out using Cox’s proportional hazards models.