Disease risk may be related to height

Are you tall or short?

Disease risk may be related to height

Iread an interesting study in the June 2022 issue of the peer-reviewed journal PLOS Genetics that had to do with height. Researchers evaluated hundreds of thousands of people to see if their height had any correlation with medical problems.

The average man is 5 feet 9 inches and the average woman is 5 feet 4 inches. Anything above that is considered tall. For the study, the mean height of all the study participants was 176 centimeters (5 feet 6 inches).

Stature isn’t something that usually comes to mind when evaluating risk factors. When someone is ill, typical factors include environmental exposures, as well as where they live, the food they eat, weight, genetics, family history and more. Height is not modifiable. Being short, average height or towering is not something you can change!

Anyway, the study found that taller people apparently have a higher risk of peripheral nerve damage (neuropathy) and varicose veins and lower risk of heart disease, which contradicts prior studies.

One trial examining about 500 people found that men who are about 6 feet tall are almost 60 percent less likely to develop dementia or Alzheimer’s compared to those shorter than 5 feet 7 inches. The same benefit holds true for taller women; however, the correlation is not as tight.

What about people of shorter stature? Current research shows that someone of below-average height has a lower risk of getting cancer. It’s not yet possible to fully explain this, however, we know that growth hormone levels play a role in developing cancer.

This information is based on numerous studies and meta-analyses, so none of it is concrete. People of shorter stature (like me!) have reduced telomere shortening and that’s a good thing. Childhood illness and exposure to pathogens plays a role, as does lifestyle, diet and genetics.

So while researchers continue to tease out our destiny based upon height, I suggest we all just focus on the modifiable factors instead. The tweaks you make now translate to lifelong health and longevity, not only for you, but also for your children, and their children and so forth. ■

DEAR PHARMACIST

BY SUZY COHEN For more articles and advice, sign up for Suzy’s newsletter at www.SuzyCohen.com We offer in-office visits or virtual consultations Medically supervised Medications delivered to you $99 lab fees

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