Science tells is that there are many positives to being tall – being perceived as more attractive and worthy of more respect than shorter people – but at least one new study study points to a downside: an increased risk of developing cancer, according to the Irish Times.
A Swedish study has linked height with increased cancer risk with men 11 percent more susceptible and women 18 percent more likely to get the disease.
Dr. Emelie Benyi was lead researcher for the study and believes that several factors are at work in the link between cancer and height, according to the Guardian.
"One is that taller people have a larger number of cells in their body which could potentially transform to cancer," she said. "It could also be that taller individuals have a higher energy intake which has previously been linked to cancer."
The study observed the data on more than 5 million men and women in Sweden between 1938 and 1991.
It will be presented at the European endocrinology conference, but as of yet, the study hasn't been published in any scientific journals.
"As the cause of cancer is multifactorial, it is difficult to predict what impact our results have at the individual level... Identifying different risk factors for cancer could be the first step in understanding the mechanisms behind cancer," said the research leader, according to the Indeppendent.
It is important to note that the height risks are substantially lower factors than that of those who smoke or lead a poor lifestyle.
