Being Tall Might Elevate Your Cancer Risk, And Only Science Will Help You Reach For Your Answers

Add as a preferred source on Google

When it comes to understanding human health, only a few threads are as intriguing as the relationship between height and cancer risk. While height is often viewed as a mere physical characteristic, emerging scientific evidence suggests that it may be more closely linked to our health than previously thought.

Who knew that people with greater height face a higher likelihood of developing cancer?

A report by the World Cancer Research Fund highlights that taller individuals have a stronger chance of getting cancers such as those of the pancreas, large bowel, uterus (endometrium), ovary, prostate, kidney, skin (melanoma), and breast (both pre- and post-menopausal), mentions an article published in The Conversation.

Height And Cancer Risk

The UK Million Women study revealed that for 15 out of 17 cancers examined, taller individuals were more prone to these diseases. It showed that each ten-centimetre increase in height raised the risk of developing cancer by approximately 16%. This trend is similar in men.
To put this into perspective, if around 45 out of every 10,000 women of average height (about 165 centimeters) develop cancer annually, then about 52 out of every 10,000 women who are 175 centimeters tall would get cancer. This translates to an additional seven cases per 10,000 women.

Another study found that 22 out of 23 cancers were more common in taller people compared to shorter ones. This relationship between height and cancer risk spans across different ethnicities and income levels and includes studies on genes predicting height.

Possible Biological Reasons

One theory suggests that taller individuals have more cells. For instance, a taller person likely has a longer large bowel with more cells, increasing the chances of developing large bowel cancer.

Cancer is believed to develop through accumulated genetic damage during cell division. The more times cells divide, the higher the likelihood of genetic damage being passed on to new cells. Thus, having more cells means more cell divisions and potentially more opportunities for cancer to develop.

Some research supports this idea, indicating that having more cells could explain why taller people are more prone to cancer and why men generally have higher cancer rates than women due to their average greater height.

What Is The Role of Hormones?

Another theory involves a hormone called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). This hormone aids children's growth and continues to drive cell growth and division in adults. While necessary for replacing old or damaged cells, excessive IGF-1 levels have been linked to higher risks of breast or prostate cancer in some studies.

However, this finding isn't consistent across all types of cancers. It's likely both explanations-having more cells and higher IGF-1 levels-play roles in the increased cancer risk among taller people.

What Can Taller Individuals Do?

If you find yourself closer in height to LeBron James than Lionel Messi, remember that height only slightly increases your cancer risk. There are many lifestyle changes everyone can adopt to significantly reduce their overall cancer risk:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Stay physically active
• Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables
• Avoid smoking
• Limit alcohol consumption

Participating in regular cancer screening programs can also help detect cancers early when they are most treatable. Additionally, research indicates that being taller might lower your chances of experiencing heart attacks or strokes.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.