Short kids more likely to have a stroke as adult

CHILDREN who are two inches shorter than their classmates are at greater risk of suffering a stroke later in life, say medical researchers.

They are 11% more likely to be hit as adults, said a study of 300,000 girls and boys at ages seven, 11 and 13.

The average height of a seven year old is 4ft, while the average 13 year old is 5ft 3in.

Adult women and men, who were two inches shorter at these key ages, were 11% more likely to have an ischaemic stroke, where a clot starves the brain of blood and oxygen.

Adult men were also 11% more likely to have an intracerebral haemorrhage, triggered by bleeding on the brain. This did not apply to women.

Prof Jennifer Baker, of the University of Copenhagen, said: “Our study suggests short height in children is a possible marker of stroke risk.

“These children should pay extra attention to changing or treating modifiable risk factors for stroke throughout life to reduce the chances of having this disease.”

These include encouraging healthier diets and protecting against stress, said Prof Baker. Researchers tracked 300,000 Danish children between 1930 and 1989. The findings follow research by British scientists showing taller children are less likely to have a heart attack.

And a previous study of a million adults found those who were two and a half inches taller than average were six to 10% less likely to die from a stroke. Strokes are the UK’S third biggest cause of premature death, affecting 57,000 people a year in England.