Lifespan is actually related to height! Tall VS short, which person lives longer?

Height, may be a pain in the hearts of many "small" friends, hoping that they can grow a few centimeters taller, but is the height really the higher the better?

Studies have shown that tall people are more likely to develop cancer and die than short people, is this true? What is the relationship between height and longevity? And how should we manage height scientifically?

01

Do short people really have their own anti-cancer genes?

On March 1, 2022, researchers at Johns Hopkins University published a study on height and cancer incidence in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention in the Journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

The study suggests that tall people may be more likely than shorter people to develop colorectal cancer or colon polyps, which can later turn into malignant tumors. For every 10 cm increase in height, the risk of colorectal cancer increases by 14% and the risk of adenoma increases by 6%.

According to the data of the "Report on the Status of Nutrition and Chronic Diseases of Chinese Residents (2020)", the average height of Chinese men (18~44 years old) is 169.7cm, and the average height of Chinese women (18~44 years old) is 158cm, which means that men of 179.7cm and women of 168cm or higher have an increased risk of colorectal cancer by 14% and an increased risk of adenoma by 6%.

A study of 5.5 million people in Sweden that has been followed for more than 50 years has found that for every 10 cm increase in height for both men and women, the risk of cancer increases by more than 10%.

In 2011, the Lancet Oncology published the results of the famous British "Million Women Research Project", through a follow-up study of more than 1 million women in the UK for an average of 10 years, researchers found that height and cancer risk are almost straight-line, and every 10 cm increase in height of British women increases the probability of cancer by 16%.

And the results are not an increased risk of one type of cancer, but an increase in the risk of almost all types of cancer, which increases with height. The study compared a total of 17 common cancer types in women, of which 15 common cancers had increased incidence, among which the most increased risk included breast cancer (17% increase), colorectal cancer (25% increase), leukemia (26% increase), kidney cancer (29% increase) and so on.

Not only women, but also men's height is also associated with cancer risk. It's just that the relationship between women's height and cancer seems more obvious than that of men.

And the relationship isn't just true for Europeans, but also for East Asians: In 2019, a study of more than 20 million South Koreans came up with similar results: the taller the male and female, the higher the risk of cancer.

02

What does height have to do with longevity?

The above study mentioned that height is related to the length of life, and a large part of the reason is that tall people are at greater risk of cancer. Why are short people better defended against cancer, while tall people are often more likely to be favored by cancer? In response to this phenomenon, the current mainstream theories are:

1. Tall people may have higher levels of insulin growth factor, which is related to the growth of hormones and cancer;

2. People with taller stature have a large number of cells due to their larger organs, so the probability of cell mutation is greater;

Copyright pictures in the gallery, reprinting and using may cause copyright disputes

3. Related to hormone secretion in the human body, people with higher height tend to have more vigorous secretion of growth hormone, which is easier to stimulate cell division and growth, thereby increasing the risk of tumors;

4. Tall people have growth factors similar to insulin, which are activated to increase the growth of cells, thereby increasing the risk of cancer.

5. Some scholars said that the short life expectancy of tall people is related to hypertension, coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular stroke. The taller you are, the greater the burden on the heart to pump blood to the head to supply blood to the brain, and the higher your blood pressure.

The epidemiology shows that blood pressure and the length of human life are closely related, the higher the blood pressure, the heavier the burden on the heart, the easy hypertrophy of the myocardium, and the higher the mortality rate of cardiovascular disease. For every 20/10 mm Hg increase in blood pressure, the incidence of coronary heart disease increases by 50% and stroke by 60%, and even if blood pressure rises by only 2 mmHg, the incidence of both diseases increases significantly. In this way, being short also has a great advantage.

Copyright pictures in the gallery, reprinting and using may cause copyright disputes

In summary, these studies scientifically prove that height is not the better, to some extent to justify short people, because the taller the height, their overall risk may increase. Although some individuals are small, they may have longevity genes in their bodies.

Note: Whether you are tall or short, it is not the direct cause of the disease, some bad living habits, such as smoking, alcoholism, love to eat processed foods, like to sit for a long time, etc., the risk of disease and death is much greater than the impact of height, and you should be vigilant!

03

Short people come with anti-cancer genes

Does that prove that the body is invulnerable?

1. Increased risk of type 2 diabetes

Height is inversely proportional to the risk of type 2 diabetes, and the efficiency of insulin secretion increases significantly as height increases, and people with short stature may need to pay more attention to postprandial blood sugar.

2. Increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases

Genes associated with short stature increase the risk of elevated LDL cholesterol levels, which in turn increases the chance of heart disease. Therefore, people with shorter heights should pay more attention to exercise and avoid sitting for a long time.

Copyright pictures in the gallery, reprinting and using may cause copyright disputes

3. High probability of premature birth

Women with shorter stature have a shorter gestation, smaller babies, and a higher risk of preterm birth.

04

How to manage height scientifically?

Height genetic formula:

Boy's height (cm) = (father's height + mother's height +13) ÷2±5cm

Girl's height (cm) = (father's height + mother's height -13) ÷2±5cm

Note: The "±" sign in the formula reflects the acquired factor.

If you don't play well, lose 5 cm in height;

Play well and add another 5 cm.

Prompt:

Growth and development vary greatly, so height predictions do not represent final height. Generally speaking, when a woman's bone age is 14 or 15 years old, her height has reached 95% of her final height; Men reach 95% of their final height at the age of 16 and 17.

70%~80% of the child's height is determined by genetic factors, and 20%~30% is affected by acquired factors, including nutrition, sports, sleep, psychology, diseases, etc. Being too tall or too short can pose some health risks.

Copyright pictures in the gallery, reprinting and using may cause copyright disputes

1. Monitor height regularly

Parents can measure their child's height once a month and record it. The growth of the child's height is not uniform, but if there is a long period of stagnation, it is best to go to a regular hospital for pediatric consultation.

2. Balanced nutrition

The growth and development of bones is inseparable from protein, calcium, phosphorus, zinc and other minerals. It is recommended to eat an egg every day, drink a glass of milk (250 ml ~ 500 ml), and supplement a variety of meats, cereals and fruits and vegetables in moderation.

3. Make an exercise plan

Exercise promotes the development of your child's bones, muscles, joints and ligaments. Basketball, volleyball, skipping rope, etc. can be selected appropriately. Exercise is accompanied by sun exposure, vitamin D supplementation, and bone development.

4. Ensure sleep time

Deep sleep at night is the peak period of growth hormone secretion, to ensure that the child has 8 hours ~ 10 hours of adequate sleep every night, and the night sleep time is no later than 10 o'clock.

5. Pay attention to posture

Habitually bowing the head, shoulders, and hunched back will lead to spinal deformation, scoliosis, and shoulder probing, which will affect height growth.

Review|Li Nannan Director of Hunan Popular Science Writers Association Deputy Director of Research and Publicity Department of Hunan Science and Technology Association Second-level researcher Chinese Popular Science Writer (Medicine)