We all hear the basic rules of eating healthy, getting enough sleep and exercising, but there should be some aspects to your health that you should be aware of if you are taller than average.
Taller Individuals Have Higher Risk of Dying of Cancer
According to a paper published The Lancet in 2016 (link: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(15)00474-X/fulltext), the risk of dying from cancer increases by 4% for every 2.5 inches of height. There are various theories for the reason of why this is the case. One theory is that taller people have larger organs. The larger the organ, the more likely there will be a cell that is at risk of malignant transformation, which can lead to cancer. Make sure to have a yearly check up with your doctor and take advantage of various cancer screenings. If anything seems off, make sure to report it to a medical professional.
Taller Individuals are Prone to More Blood Clots
In a Swedish study (link: http://circgenetics.ahajournals.org/content/10/5/e001651), men who were shorter than 5’3’’ were at 65% lower risk of developing venous thromboembolism than men who were 6’2’’ or taller. Venous thromboembolism is a type of blood clot that starts in the veins. This type of clot can lead to heart attacks or strokes. Similar results were found in pregnant women. Women who were 5’1’’ or shorter were 69% less likely to have these type of blood clots compared to women over 6’. There are ways to help reduce your risk of blood clots. Exercise is always important as well as drinking plenty of water. Also, if you are pregnant you may consider wearing compression stockings, since your legs are where these clots can often occur.
Taller Individuals have Less Heart Disease and Diabetes
To end on a good note, in the same study from The Lancet, it found that with every 2.5 inches of height the likeliness of a person’s chance of dying of heart disease decreases by 6%. This could go back to taller individuals having larger organs, meaning they tend to have stronger lungs and hearts. Of course, this good news doesn’t mean you should stop exercising or eating healthy.
