What Your Height Reveals about Your Health
Does it matter if you are short or tall? In many aspects, no it doesn’t. But as to health - it does. That’s according to the new research from University of Tübingen and Harvard School of Public Health. The study found that taller people have a lower risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, but have a higher risk of cancer.
Height and Health
Height has an important impact on mortality, increasing the risk of a number of diseases, regardless of body fat mass and other influential factors. Researchers suspect that the increase in body height is a marker of over nutrition of high-calorie food rich in animal protein, at different stages of growth.
’Accordingly, our new data show that tall people are more sensitive to insulin and have lower fat content in the liver, which may explain their lower risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.’ says Professor Norbert Stefan of the University of Tübingen. Their findings support published data that suggest tall people have relative protection against disorders of the lipid metabolism. The team notes that genetics interacting with diet rich in high-calorie food and stress are to blame.
Increased Cancer Risk
But even though tall people are by nature less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, they are more prone to developing cancer than their shorter peers. The researchers note that the activation of the insulin-like growth factor one and two signalling pathways that is likely linked to an increased risk of certain cancers, specifically breast and colon cancer and melanoma because cell growth is permanently activated.
They advocate considering the factor growth and adult height in the prevention of the above-mentioned major diseases.
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