Height is now being linked to a higher risk of cancer, especially for women, according to researchers who studied physical and health data from not one hundred, not one thousand, but five million people in Sweden.
Presented at the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology medical conference in Barcelona, researchers stated that for every 10 centimeters (or four inches) over one meters in height, the odds of developing cancer increased 10 percent in men and 18 percent in women.
For example, a 1.72 meters (6 foot) tall Swedish woman has a third higher cancer risk than a 1.52 meter tall woman.
It sounds like an odd relationship at first glance, but it’s actually very plausible, as the risk of cancer should be related to the number of cells in a person’s body. This determines the number of cells ‘at risk’,” said Dorothy Bennett, a scientist at the University of London.
“A cancer arises by mutations from a single normal cell. Bigger people have more cells.”
How they accomplished their research
Looking at the birth, health, and military records of 5.5 million Swedish people born between 1938 and 1991, the large-scale study supported the links between height and cancer found in other studies with smaller test groups.
However, bigger is not always better, as skeptical experts question the study’s methodology. They also argue stress factors like obesity and genetics are more strongly linked to cancer risk than a person’s height.
Still, being the largest test group of men and women yet, the links between height and contracting cancer couldn’t be dismissed. The study found that for every extra 10 cm, a woman’s breast cancer risk increased by 20 percent, while in both men and women the extra 10 cm increased their melanoma risk by 30 percent.
It is important to note that the study, while detailed, does not clarify if their findings translate into other cultures with diverse diets and genetic backgrounds.
For example, in 2013 a United States study with only women stated for each 10 cm height increase there is a 13 percent increased risk in developing certain cancers. The difference between 13 and 20 percent could begin to uncover the differences between cultures.
Why there’s no need to panic
Tall people reading all of this don’t need to panic.
In the study, researchers pointed out that rather than simply height “causing” the increased cancer risks, factors like growth hormones may also be playing a role in influencing both traits.
There’s no need to panic. “Tall people shouldn’t worry that they are destined to get cancer,” said Mel Greaves, a researcher at the Institute of Cancer Research in London. Though the link between height and cancer risk is enlightening, there are still other sometimes stronger factors playing a role.
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