Compared to smaller people, taller individuals carry lower risks for developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases but higher risks for developing certain cancers, according to a new study. Findings suggest that height plays a role in disease-related mortality regardless of curbing factors and body fat mass.
A previous study has already found that DNA changes associated with growth affect taller people's mortality. Another past study has also found that per 6.5 centimeters in height, cardiovascular disease-related mortality dips by 6 percent but cancer-related mortality spikes by 4 percent.
In the recent study, the researchers speculate that body height increase is an ovenutrition marker for high-calorie, animal protein-rich foods during the various growth stages. While in the womb, lifetime programming could be happening on the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) as well as the IGF-1/2 system.
IGF-1 is a primary moderator of growth hormones' effects in adults while IGF-2's major role is promoting growth while inside the womb. The researchers have found that the activation of the IGF-1/2 system makes the body more sensitive to insulin.
"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 from the German Center for Diabetes Research.
The team has also found that the IGF-1/2 system activation as well as those of other signaling pathways could be associated with the increased risk of various cancers including colon cancer, breast cancer and skin cancer due to permanently activated cell growth.
The findings support the further consideration of adult height and growth factor in the prevention of major diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. Doctors should be more aware that taller people might be at higher risk of cancer than smaller people, but also at lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The study was published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal on Jan. 27.
Photo : Nathan Bittinger | Flickr
