Just the other day I wrote a post about tall guys making better husbands, and it was kind of a joke poked at my wife Sara. The study concluded that the ultimate advantage for tall husbands is that they are healthier and wealthier than their shorter peers.

I certainly can’t speak to the wealth part of the equation, but here is part of the proof for better health. Shorter people have been found to be more at risk for heart attacks, high blood pressure and diabetes, and now scientists may have found out why.

British researchers at the University of Leicester found that of 12 risk factors for coronary artery disease, two were related to genes that regulate height -- LDL "bad" cholesterol and triglycerides.

They found that the risk of coronary artery disease rose by 13.5 percent with each 2.5-inch decrease in height. The study found the clear link only in men, however that could have been because there were fewer women in their study with heart problems, making it harder to see an effect.

One theory for the short stature risk is that shorter people have smaller arteries, so it may take less plaque to clog them.

Haeckel collection/ullstein bild via Getty Images
Haeckel collection/ullstein bild via Getty Images
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