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Adult Height, Prevalent Coronary Calcium Score, and Incident Cardiovascular Outcomes in a Multi-Ethnic Cohort.


AUTHORS

Yeboah J , Blaha MJ , Michos ED , Qureshi W , Miedema M , Flueckiger P , Rodriguez CJ , Szklo M , Bertoni AG , . American journal of epidemiology. 2017 5 23; ().

ABSTRACT

We assessed the relationships among adult height, coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores, incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events, and atrial fibrillation (Afib) in a multi-ethnic cohort. We used race/ethnicity -specific height (dichotomized by median and quartiles) as the predictor variable within the four race/ethnic groups in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (N = 6,814). After a mean of 10.2 years of follow-up (2000-2012), 556 ASCVD events (8.2%) and 539 afib events (7.9%) occurred. Adult height was not associated with prevalent CAC [In (CAC+1) or categories]. Tall stature (i.e., race/ethnicity-specific height ≥median) had a significant but opposite association with future ASCVD and afib [hazard ratio (95% confidence intervals) 0.72(0.56-0.92) and 1.38(1.07-1.79), respectively]. We observed a gradient-response but opposite association between quartiles of race-specific height and ASCVD/Afib events in our multivariable models. A formal test of interaction between race-specific height and gender was not significant in the ASCVD model (P = 0.78) but was significant in the afib model (p = 0.03). Tall stature was associated (gradient-response fashion) with reduced risk for ASCVD events and increased risk for afib. Adult height may signal interactions between genetic and environmental factors, and may provide risk information independent of current traditional risk factors and CAC score.


We assessed the relationships among adult height, coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores, incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events, and atrial fibrillation (Afib) in a multi-ethnic cohort. We used race/ethnicity -specific height (dichotomized by median and quartiles) as the predictor variable within the four race/ethnic groups in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (N = 6,814). After a mean of 10.2 years of follow-up (2000-2012), 556 ASCVD events (8.2%) and 539 afib events (7.9%) occurred. Adult height was not associated with prevalent CAC [In (CAC+1) or categories]. Tall stature (i.e., race/ethnicity-specific height ≥median) had a significant but opposite association with future ASCVD and afib [hazard ratio (95% confidence intervals) 0.72(0.56-0.92) and 1.38(1.07-1.79), respectively]. We observed a gradient-response but opposite association between quartiles of race-specific height and ASCVD/Afib events in our multivariable models. A formal test of interaction between race-specific height and gender was not significant in the ASCVD model (P = 0.78) but was significant in the afib model (p = 0.03). Tall stature was associated (gradient-response fashion) with reduced risk for ASCVD events and increased risk for afib. Adult height may signal interactions between genetic and environmental factors, and may provide risk information independent of current traditional risk factors and CAC score.


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