A new study published in Circulation – Cardiovascular Imaging has identified a connection between an adult's height and the prevalence of coronary artery calcium (CAC).

"A potential link between height and CHD has been shown in several studies but the mechanism of this relationship has not been clear and our study suggests the relationship is mediated by plaque build up in the coronary arteries", said Michael Miedema, MD, MPH, from the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. There may be as much as 30% lower risk of plaque build-up in the top quarter of tallest adults compared to the bottom quarter. These results had to be adjusted for gender, given the differences in height between men and women, but the relationship was consistent in both men and women."
Why taller individuals develop less plaque is not entirely clear.
"Some studies suggest that taller people have favorable changes in their blood pressure due their height but these changes are quite small and unlikely to be the sole cause of this relationship", Miedema stated. "It may be more likely that this relationship is mediated through a common link, such as childhood nutrition or other environmental factors during childhood, which may be determinants of both adult height as well as future coronary heart disease."
Source-Eurekalert