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Subscribe to RSSBeing tall always seemed like a good thing. There’s hardly a woman who doesn’t wish she could grow a few inches and emulate the heights of supermodels.
But being short may have its virtues.
A new study published in The Lancet Oncology found that the shorter women are, the lower their cancer risk. Or, vice versa, the taller women are the greater their risk.
In fact, British researchers determined that the risk of cancer in women jumps 16 percent with each 4-inch increase in height.
To determine whether stature had anything to do with cancer risk, the researchers, led by Dr. Jane Green of Oxford University, followed 1.3 million middle-aged women from the United Kingdom for 10 years.
Even after accounting for the women’s different lifestyles and socio-economic backgrounds, there was still a significant jump in cancer risk associated with increasing stature. And it wasn’t just one kind of cancer. Taller women were more likely to develop cancers of the breast, ovary, uterus and bowel, as well as leukemia and melanoma.
It's unclear how these particular findings apply to men.
Green and her colleagues don’t yet know why tall people have a greater cancer risk. But, she said, “the link between height and cancer risk seems to be common to many different kinds of cancer and in different people, suggesting that there may be a basic common mechanism, perhaps acting early in people’s lives when they are growing.”
Height is, to some extent, determined by environmental factors such as diet, growth hormone levels and infections during childhood.
And, of course, genes play a big role, too. It’s always possible that there is some association between the genes that cause us to be tall and the ones that make us vulnerable to cancer.
Ultimately, Green and her colleagues concluded, “of course, people cannot change their height. Being taller has been linked to a lower risk of other conditions such as heart disease. The importance of our findings is that they may help us understand how cancers develop.”
Who knows, maybe this new research will inspire Randy Newman to rewrite the refrain to one of his most famous songs, which goes: "Short people got no reason to live."
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This sounds like another bogus study, much like the one that claimed a positive correlation between smarts and a low waist-to-hip ratio. If there's grant money on the table, you can bet there's an academic root hog to sniff it out.
Well put Qiong!
Given the dismal state of medical oncology in the UK it doesn't surprise me that they would publish an article as ridiculous as this one- even in the branch of a respected journal.
Absolutely agree
It has nothing to do with heigth. It is purely based on the number of cells in your body.
Tall people typically have more cells. Each cell has a chance of mutation. More cells = more chance of mutation. When the mutation is a fast spreading type, bad things happen.
There was a study of lifespans in Sweden or Norway many years ago. Tall people lived shorter lives.
But the exact same results would be true if they went by weight (although you have less skin area per pound the fatter you are, which would likely impact skin cancer rates).
This study really didn't find anything new.
A truely good study would correct for the likelyhood that a taller person weighs more than a shorter one.
Then they would be closer to being able to prove or disprove the theory that the bigger you are, the more cells you have, and therefore a larger chance of getting cancer.
Stbarth...I was not aware that there were any respected publications in the UK.
Well, yes.
When shall these ambiguous, useless, and may I say "imbecilic" studies be put to rest?
There are lies, damn lies, and then are statistics. --Benjamin Disraeli
Ya' know....I'll bet that I can find a color that most women with cancer seem to prefer, or perhaps cancer-free women prefer poodles to chihuahuas. Just think about any thing that can be correlated with women that are diagnosed with cancer vs. those without cancer, and identify that correlation.
The mind reels at the possibilities. I can only hope that our tax dollars aren't funding any of these fool's games.
Stbarth: U.K. socialized medicine? I thought so. Thank you Mr. O.
The researchers or doctors or both are "Quacks".
Anyone can get cancer. Don't ignore the symptoms of CA---the only cancer that cannot be cured in women in Ovarian.---the silent killer.
If you are short, it is a disadvantage in other ways---finding proper fitting clothes, trying to reach for certain items on shelves, and not having longer arms and legs for "running"!---gaining 5 pounds is like gaining 20!
Ask "Short Women"!
Duh! Well of course short women have less risk of developing cancer. They're usually hit by a bus before it has time to develop.
So let me try to understand this one, if the person is a midget no cancer, does that sound right? Now the million dollar question is this the same for a male? I find this must be some kind of joke right. I think someone is trying too pull our leg ... LOL
If theres a correlation between waist measurements and intelligence,there is a correlation. Similarly,if there is a correlation between cancer and height,theres a correlation. You can call it stupid all you want,but its there. What causes it or if anyone cares of course is another question. On the waist measurements,who cares. On the cancer,not only could it be important,but the answer is obvious. Im sure the researchers know it and that their next project will be exploring it. (Apparently its not obvious to the self professed rocket scientists here)
Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells. Clearly,the increase in risk is probably due to the growth hormones that make the women tall. Its not a stretch to assume that more of certain growth hormones lead to people being taller and we know higher levels of hormones whether they be naturally occurring or artificial can lead to higher cancer risks. Knowing this could lead to better understanding of some cancers. It could lead to better treatments and it could allow us to better identify and target those tumors that respond to hormones. Of course the rocket scientists on the internet here can keep ridiculing it. Where did you all get your medical degrees?
I'm 5' and a breast cancer survior so being short didn't help me!!!
correlation does not equal "cause and effect"...who knows maybe there is some genetic link we are just beginning to understand. perhaps it is bogus. in any case, this higlights the need to fund diagnostic medicine, preventive medicine, and personalized medicine. we've only known about DNA for 60 years, only sequenced the human genome in the mid 90's....as much as we think we know, we are BABIES, nay, fetus, nay, EMBRYOS! when it comes to understanding genetics' role in human health.
Aliveinsd, since this research was done in Britain, it's doubtful any of your precious tax pennies were spent on it. Did you bother to read the article? As a woman who is tall and who has suffered more than one type of cancer, this research applies to me and I benefit from this knowledge.
Remember the world doesn't revolve around you. There are others in the world who may benefit from research. You don't have to be altruistic, just realise there are other people in the world.
I wonder if the medical establishment will now descriminate against tall people the way they do against overweight people. Will there be a surcharge on insurance if you're over a certain height because you're more likely to get cancer? Any reason to bilk more money from the public.
Shhhhhh don't give them any ideas. They might actually do that and then tall people are going to have money issues and we all need that like a hole in the head
Liers, it is mor likely shorter women get cancer if height has anything to do with it.
There are too many variables to link cancer risk to just one. It seems that every time a new study comes out, everybody "jumps on the bandwagon" and acts as if the new study is "gospel". Then a few years later, another study comes out that finds opposite results.
I would be willing to bet that the reason short people often have lower cancer risk has something to do with the amount of food they eat. The taller you are, the more calories you need and therefore the more food you must eat. The more food you eat, the higher your risk of cancer.
Cancer showed no favoritism in my family. Within 4 months of each other, my sister (5'9"), maternal aunt (approx same height), and myself (5'3") were ALL diagnosed with breast cancer. There is no gene mutation, either. Sorry, but in my opinion, the study is a JOKE!
Back in April this year 2011, My aunt passed away , she was short 4"7 , she died from Lung cancer, and it also spreaded though her little body.
So I don't belive that, Some other people I have known had cancer and was short.
What total BS, All my family including me had or have had cancer. where do they get this crap from
Which part is BS? Did they say short people don't get cancer? No.
Firstly I like to say your opening paragraph is not accurate. I'm only 5'1 and I LIKE being short, I have never wished to be taller. I also know lots of other short women who are happy with their height, so please don't make generalizations, it's off-putting.
I truly doubt height has anything to do with health, all I know is I have been healthy as a horse since day 1, but I wouldn't say I owe that to my shortness.
That first paragraph is just plain wrong! The only "supermodel" I've ever liked was Twiggy! I can't believe the author actually quoted the worst line of that disgusting Randy Newman song to boot. That song was like a gift to the bullies of the world when it was released.
Newman was right. Short people really do have no reason to live. Maybe if we tall people just give them enough rope....and they really wouldn't really need all that much rope to begin with.....
I hope everyone here knows the meaning of facetious.....just sayin'
ES--a crew needs rowers and a coxswain to successfully compete--just sayin'.
That's only the eights. Four man has no cox...........poor guys.
Wonderful grammar.
and this is why I grab on to God's promises, because the medical community at times remind me of clowns!
And I am sure that when you get sick you don't go to those foolish doctors. What do they know anyway? You just pray a lot and God heals you.
Enjoyed your comment to Melena. It's always nice to know who the jerks are. It's not Melena. Any guess Jherek?
Thanks Light, I'm glad you enjoyed my comment to Melena.
I am always amused by people who criticise science and praise their all powerful "God". I can't help but notice that they run to the doctor for treatment when they become ill. Except for the fanatics who rely on praying to their "God" who then proceed to become even more ill and often die.
I guess their faith wasn't strong enough.
I've known two people who had cancer. They both were female and under 5'4" tall. Of course, we don't live in the UK, for whatever that's worth.
I am not saying the study is valid but your two anecdotal cases do not contradict a mass of statistics.
For once being short has a perk. I don't care if the study is bogus it sound good to me.
You short poeple have other perks you probably don't even appreciate. For instance, I doubt that you have ever smacked your noggin on the bottom of a door jamb.
No, but it's easy for me to hit my forehead against those darn street curbs I'm always having to scale. Bet you just step right up, injury-free.
You're not the Geico gekko by any chance, are you?
Does this mean that because I am 5" 10" or more that I am at a terrible risk for having cancer? I'm wondering if the fact that I am 1/2 English/British might play a roll in it too? Sounds like a real crock if you ask me. The only cancer I have had is a grade two Vaginal cancer that was taken care of by a 'Conization' and a very good doctor. I also am not going to let this worry me into paranoyia. I'm thinking that I will be living many long years after my 74th birthday I just celebrated.
Salgal - I you read my response to the first comment - you will see that it is the total number of cells in your body, and not heigth that is the bigger factor.
Taller people just happen to usually have more cells.
But a short fat person will have a greater chance of getting cancer than a tall thin person that weighs less (all other factors being equal).
But don't stress out over it - stress is one of the biggest factors in health.
Good comments Ladies! I also do not agree with the first statement...
But, the first thing that came to my mind when I read this story is they do not give any outline as to what IS Short or Tall?? Where does this '16 percent with each 4-inch increase in height' start to be calculated?
Ya - what's short in England could be tall in America!
I think that you have that backwards. Americans on average are much taller than Brits. But then again, Americans are comprised of a much greater variety of people from across the world, so that obviously would tend to raise the average.
It begins with 5'9" and increases with height according to the research, Bevy.
OK, another stupid story... 16% increase with every 4" taller. ?!?! Starting at what height? So a female that is 4'8" is at what % risk? or a 5'4", and 6'4". What is the base line. Stupid story...
And I thought the reason I am going to live longer is because, at 5'2", I'll be below the bullets when the shooting starts.
Just hope that they don't aim low.
More research on the subject is needed before I get excited about it.
No, taller people develop cancer because they are closer to the sun...Do not agree?
Let me get this straight! A woman who has 16% more body mass and 16% more cells gets a wide variety of cancers 16% more often. Shocking!
Oh damn, I should have stunted my daughters' growth when they were babies! What an absolutely stupid study! Don't feed the girls this week. We don't want them to grow!! Somebody paid for this?
Well...the long and the short of it is that since I am a man, this article turns out to be irrelevant, and also irrelephant to me, as I do not have any elephants either.
Yeah - and they have a lower chance of bumping their heads too......
Lol being a very tall woman I'll amen to that. Especially stairways leading to a basement....these always seem to get me!!!
The standard doorway is 6' 8". Every once in a while my radar fails me, and I hit the door jamb on an upstep. If you want to know what it means to see stars.....
well for once being short is a plus for me...lol
Another lie from the American Medical idiots!
The article clearly stated (only thing clear in that article, btw) that this was a British research project, nothing American about it.
The only idiot I see is the one who wrote your comment, Ruben.
this is sooooo stupid sounding - do they not know that it doesn't matter HOW tall or short you are ... geez - there are SO many other factors!
I am a tall woman, 5'10', as well as a scientist in the biological practices and sincerely wish they'd put weight into account during this study.
Although I'm that height, I have weighed no more than 125lbs since my sophomore of highschool (much a product of a high metabolism followed by exercise and a diet high in fruits and vegetables). I wonder...do tall thin women face the same theoretical likliehood of cancer as a short fat woman (taking into account that perhaps this is a result of the number of cells in a human body??)
Likely not. Every lay man needs to realize that correlation and causation more often than not have absolutely nothing to do with each other.
5' 10" huh? Hi shorty! LOL
@responsible parent-Thanks immensely for your observation. The commentary that tall women have more cells is almost as obtuse as the original study. Post hoc ergo propter hoc? I am more than interested in how one studies 1.3 million middle aged women for 10 years.