Influence of Height on the Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis of Patients With Ischemic Stroke

Background: Large, long-term population data indicate an inverse association for adult height with stroke incidence and mortality, whereas the risk of atrial fibrillation appears greater in taller individuals. However, it is unclear whether knowledge of an individual's stature is an important clinical factor to consider when assessing hospitalized patients with ischemic stroke. We determined the relation of body height with clinical characteristics and discharge outcomes among persons with ischemic stroke. Methods: We analyzed prospectively collected data in 881 consecutive patients with ischemic stroke admitted to a university hospital stroke service during a 5-year period starting September 2002. Stroke subtyping was performed per modified Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) criteria. Stroke severity was assessed with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. All patients were assessed at discharge using the modified Rankin scale. Mean adjusted height was compared using linear regression models with height as outcome, and stroke subtype, modified Rankin scale, and potential confounders as covariates. Results: Mean age was 67.4 years, 48% were women. Mean height was 169 cm (SD +/- 11). In multivariable analysis, height decreased per year of age (P = 0.003), those with a previous stroke were shorter than those without a previous stroke (P = 0.04), and females were shorter than males (P < 0.001). Height was not associated with stroke subtype or discharge outcomes in unadjusted or adjusted analyses. Conclusions: Body height at hospital admission has no relation to ischemic stroke subtype or discharge outcome. However, patients with history of previous stroke were significantly shorter than those without a previous stroke, which may be because of greater stroke occurrence in shorter individuals or taller people with relatively larger atrial fibrillation-related strokes dying earlier.