Sex‐specific relationship between adult height and the risk of stroke: A dose‐response meta‐analysis of prospective studies

Conflicting evidence exists regarding the magnitude of the association between adult height and risk of stroke, and it is unclear whether this association is different between men and women. The authors carried out a meta‐analysis to assess the sex‐specific effect of adult height on the risk of stroke and its subtypes. Prospective cohort studies reporting sex‐specific risk estimates of height with stroke or reported in a certain sex were included. Summary relative risks for 5‐unit increments in height were calculated using random‐effects, and dose‐response relationships were performed using a restricted cubic spline model. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, and tests for publication bias were also performed. In all, 20 prospective studies were identified in this study. The summary of relative risks (95% CIs) of stroke for a 5 cm increase in adult height were 0.93 (0.90‐0.95) for men and 0.88 (0.83‐0.93) for women. There was no significant difference in the effect of height on future stroke risk between men and women (Pinteraction = 0.085). There was evidence of a nonlinear association between adult height and stroke risk, with steeper inverse associations at lower level of height, but further reductions in risk were observed at greater heights. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses showed that the significant associations were consistent in most stratifications and with various inclusion criteria. In conclusion, higher adult height was significantly associated with lower risk of stroke in both men and women.

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