Being vertically challenged significantly increases your risk of developing heart disease and dying from it but scientists haven’t yet found a reason for the link.

Researchers in Finland reviewed a raft of studies on the topic after previous research delivered conflicting evidence on whether being short raises heart disease risk.

They combed through the data from 52 studies that featured more than three million people, who were sorted into categories according to height.

Doctors have been urged to ask male patients one simple question that a study suggests could save the lives of many men.

Erectile dysfunction has been found to have a strong association with cardiovascular disease and researchers say asking patients about it is a cheap and safe alternative to traditional screening methods.

The report, which was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, examined whether erectile dysfunction is an accurate predictor of future problems such as heart attack and stroke.