If you’re tall, you already know that it comes with disadvantages.
Pants that are too short, doorways and trees that you have to bend down to go under, and let’s not forget people constantly pointing out to you that you’re tall.
But now, there may be something more sinister to look out for.
A new study done by Karolinska Institutet and University of Stockholm in Sweden has found that being tall may actually put you at risk for cancer.
The researcher’s statement says: “In our preliminary report, we present that for every 10-centimeter increase [about 4 inches] increase in height, overall cancer is increased by 18 percent in women and 11 percent in men.”
There has also been research in the past that’s found that being taller can increase your risk of certain cancers, like breast cancer and melanoma.
The study looked at the medical records of 5.5 million Swedish men and women, between the heights of 3-foot-3 and 7-foot-3. They were born between 1938 and 1991, and their info was tracked until 2011.
The average Swedish woman, with a height of 5 foot 5 already has a ten percent risk of developing breast cancer in her lifetime. The study was done based off of that, and that’s where the increase percentage comes from.
But why is height related to cancer risk?
It’s possible that during growth, people who end up taller experience higher levels of growth factors, or that they simply have more cells to work with. Another popular theory is that they simpley eat more calories, which has been linked to cancer risk.
Scientists don’t know for sure, but unfortunately it’s one of those risk factors that’s just unpreventable. It’s also important to note that this study was done on a Swedish population and may well be different for others.
