Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm analysed data on 5.5 million Swedish men and women with heights ranging between 100cm (3.3ft) and 225cm (7.4ft).
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The study found that for every 10 cm of height, the risk of developing cancer increased by 18 percent in women and 11 percent in men.
“Another hypothesis could be that taller people simply have a larger number of cells in their bodies that then could potentially transform into cancer”.
A person who is 20% taller will build up twice as much kinetic energy in a tumble.
As an example in the research, a Swedish woman 1.72 meters tall was about a third more likely to contract cancer than a woman of 1.52 meters, the research noted. The participants’ height was the most important aspect; therefore, respondents had different height categories from 100 cm and 225 cm.
Research drawn from physical and health data for five million people in Sweden links tallness to a higher risk for cancer. He said that people with genetic dwarfism have a mutation in the said hormone that can somehow affect the growth of tumour and cancer cells.
The medical records of respondents have been observed all throughout the period of the study and researchers have reached the conclusion that cancer risks increase with every 10 cm of height. “Stature may be an impression of right on time age exposures”.
But British experts say the effect on overall cancer risk is small – so today we highlight the highs and lows of being long or short. They have more cells in their body because of their size, which increases the risk of one of them turning cancerous.
“Though these findings suggest a possible link between being tall and having an increased risk of breast cancer, just because a woman is tall, doesn’t mean they will definitely develop breast cancer”, said Carolyn Rogers, clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care. Taller people have more cells that could mutate into tumors and are likely exposed to higher levels of growth hormones during adolescence that could trigger cancer. Also, the researchers said that height was not really a significant risk compared to obesity, poor nutrition and smoking.
“To our knowledge, this is the largest study performed on linkage between height and cancer including both women and men”, said study lead author Dr Emelie Benyi of Karolinska Institutet.
Taller women more likely to have twins.
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The new study indicates that there is a link between height and cancer, but not as significant as smoking or leading an unhealthy lifestyle. Past research has found that taller people tend to earn more money, and taller men tend to be more reproductively successful.
