Dr Peter SwinyardSHORT women are more likely to develop heart disease than their leggier sisters, new research has claimed.

Scientists have discovered a link between adult leg length an indicator of diet and living conditions during childhood and the incidence of coronary heart disease in women.

But Dr Peter Swinyard, of the Phoenix Surgery in Toothill, has dismissed the claims as "dotty".

The Bristol University study claims women with heart disease are more likely to be older, more obese and former or current smokers, with high cholesterol levels.

The research also showed they were more insulin resistant a precursor to diabetes and more likely to come from working class families.

And they were also more likely to have shorter bodies and legs.

Dr Debbie Lawlor, who led the study, said: "The protective effect of tall stature is unlikely to be the result of wider arteries or to less height shrinkage with age.

"Rather it is likely to be a proxy for environmental factors from birth up to puberty which affect both growth of the bones in the legs and also have a long term effect on heart disease in the future.

"Breast feeding, high energy diets at the age of two and being born into an affluent family all positively influence growth. Having parents who smoke and being born into a poor family negatively influence growth.

"The association between leg length and heart disease suggests that these early life risk factors also cause heart disease."

Dr Swinyard said: "This sounds like a lot of rubbish. It's just taking one little bit out of research and trying to hook something on it.

"People can't decide to be tall. It's more genetic than environmental. If you have tall parents the child will normally be tall, and if your parents are short then you will be short.

"It's just as dotty to say short people are more at risk because they are nearer bus exhaust pipes."

Jill Greenaway, 64, of Brecon Close, in Lawn, is 5ft 1in. She said: "It sounds like it's rubbish. I don't smoke and I'm not obese so I don't think I'm likely to get heart disease just because I've got shorter legs."

Dr Lawlor and her colleagues measured the height, leg length, trunk length and weight of more than 4,000 women between the ages of 60 and 79 years of age from 23 British towns.

They also assessed how well their lungs worked, whether they were former or current smokers, and noted their social class.

Almost 700 of the 4,000 women had heart disease. Just under one third of these 700 women had a history of heart attacks.

When all the risk factors were taken into account, the research concluded that leg length remained strongly linked to risk of heart disease.

The study showed the risk decreased by an average of 16 per cent for every increase of 4.3cm in leg length.

Judy O'Sullivan, cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Latest figures show that around 50,000 UK women die each year from heart disease.

"The study is interesting because it highlights the fact that factors that stunt growth also increase the risk of chronic heart disease."

The TALL and....

Actress Brooke Shields 6ft

USA tennis player Lindsay Davenport 6ft 2ins

American high jumper Amy Acuff 6ft 2ins

British supermodel Jodie Kidd 6ft

Model and Rod Stewart's girlfriend Penny Lancaster 6ft 1in

Australian model Elle Macpherson 6ft

American actress Uma Thurman 6ft

English actress Vanessa Redgrave 5ft 11ins

English actress Minnie Driver 5ft 10ins

Australian actress Nicole Kidman 5ft 10ins

....the short

Singer Kylie Minogue 5ft 1in

Former model and singer Sam Fox 5ft 1in

Actress Sarah Michelle Geller 5ft 3ins

Singer Rachel Stevens - 5ft 2ins

Singer Madonna 5ft 4ins

Actress Judy Garland 5ft 3ins

Singer Bette Midler 5ft 1in

Country singer Dolly Parton 5ft

Former Ginger spice Gerry Halliwell 5ft 2ins

American actress Reese Witherspoon 5ft 2ins

Alex Emery