Adults who were short as children may be more likely to have high blood pressure later in life, putting them at increased risk for heart disease and other chronic illnesses. Researchers explained that early growth reflects the development of the stress response system, which also controls blood pressure, and therefore shorter children may be more vulnerable to stress. "It is not being short that confers a risk, but that risks for poorer blood pressure control also influence growth rate in childhood," one of the authors said.

Researchers looked at data from nearly 150 men who were 5- to 8-years old in 1937 and 1939 and in their 60s in 1997 and 1998. They found that the systolic blood pressure was highest in those men who were short as children and lowest in men who were tall as children. For example, the average systolic pressure was about 168 in the shortest subjects and 151 in the tallest. A systolic blood pressure reading above 140 is considered high.

Archives of Disease in Childhood 2000;82:358-363 article