The Taller You Are, The Greater Your Chances Of Getting Blood Clots

The risk of getting blood clots or Venous thromboembolism (VTE) increases with how tall a person is, finds a study published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics, on Tuesday.

According to American Heart Association, VTE “is a blood clot that starts in a vein. It is the third leading vascular diagnosis after heart attack and stroke, affecting about 300,000–600,000 Americans each year.”

Previously the cause of VTE has been traced back to age, obesity and side effects of diseases such as cancer or lupus. Some of the triggers for VTE are surgery, immobilization and hospitalization. Certain hormones produced by a woman’s body during pregnancy, the use of oral contraceptive or estrogen supplements, also cause women to suffer from VTE.

Genetics also plays a significant role when it comes to blood clotting problems. People, whose bloods have a thicker consistency than usual, due to the fact that too many blood cells are produced by bone marrow, tend to suffer from VTE.

However, according to the recent study, one’s height might be another vital factor in determining if one suffers from blood clotting issues. The risk of suffering from VTE increased significantly with every inch that is added to a person’s height, irrespective of gender.

The study collected data from 1.6 million Swedish army men who were born between 1951 and 1992, and more than 1 million Swedish women who became pregnant between 1982 and 2012. After analyzing the data, the researchers discovered that men who stood at the height of about 5 feet 3 inches had a 65 percent less chance of getting VTE than men who were 6 feet 2 inches or taller. Similarly, women who were shorter than 5 feet 1 inches had a 69 percent less chance of getting VTE than women who were six feet or taller.

"Height is not something we can do anything about," lead study author Dr. Bengt Zöller, associate professor at Lund University and Malmö University Hospital in Sweden, said in a news release. "However, the height in the population has increased, and continues increasing, which could be contributing to the fact that the incidence of thrombosis has increased."

"I think we should start to include height in risk assessment just as overweight, although formal studies are needed to determine exactly how height interacts with inherited blood disorders and other conditions," Zöller added.

Despite the study not being able to take into account the personal background of the individuals such as their childhood, the domestic environment they grew up in or diets they followed, the researchers were able to conclude that this association between blood clot and height remained true even in siblings.

But why does body size increase or decrease the risk of VTE? "Basically, the blood has to travel up a vein against gravity, and when there is a longer distance to travel, there is more opportunity for the blood to clot abnormally," Dr. Mary Cushman, professor of medicine and pathology and director of the Thrombosis and Hemostasis Program at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, said, CNN reported. "This is not the case in the arms, for example, where arm movement allows blood to more easily flow out of the limb with the help of gravity."

Dr. Nesochi Okeke-Igbokwe, an attending physician of internal medicine at New York University Langone Health in New York, praised the new study for the kind of methodologies used but also warned people to be extra careful of their lifestyle choices if they want to prevent VTE.

“The bottom line regarding this recent study, whether you are a taller or shorter individual, you must be aware of all the additional lifestyle factors that may increase your risk for blood clots, such as smoking or a sedentary lifestyle," she said. "We have no control over our height, but we certainly can all take the appropriate measures in making healthy lifestyle choices to reduce the risk of various conditions."