HEIGHT, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE and CANCER
Abstract: Taller people tend to suffer less heart disease than do shorter people. But tall people of a given BMI suffer more cancer than do shorter people. These risks tend to cancel each other so that height usually has little effect on overall Well-Days of life. But those that have unusually high other risks of heart disease and that are short can have an added risk. And those with unusually high risks of cancer that are tall will have added risk.
A risk factor for both heart disease and cancer for both men and women is body height. Many research studies relating each of these major diseases to height have been published. The results usually are consistent and significant: Taller people tend to suffer LESS heart disease. But at the same time they suffer MORE cancer, probably at most or all sites.
Nine useful studies were found relating body height to both heart disease and stroke. Each INCREASE in height of one inch of either men or women REDUCED risk of coronary heart disease by an average factor of 0.94 or 6%. Most of the 9 studies showed results close to this average. The effect on stroke was somewhat smaller. The specific research studies are not summarized here but can be located in Medline by asking for studies related to Height and Disease.
Twenty-one studies were found and used relating height to various types of cancer. Each INCREASE in height of men or women INCREASED cancer risk about 3% per inch of height. Values for breast, colon, and prostate cancer all averaged close to this 3% value.
Not surprisingly, when these effects are combined in Life Ahead their debits and credits mostly cancel out for an average man or woman. Body weight obviously is related strongly to height. Short people of the same weight as taller people will have a much higher risk because their BMI or weight for height is much higher. If a comparison is made a constant BMI of 25 – which keeps weight in usual alignment with height – men and women of average heights respectively of 68 and 64 inches or somewhat taller than this have lowest overall risk. The usual negative differences in overall Well Days for those shorter and taller are small.
But if a person has higher other risks of of heart disease as for example from a high cholesterol or strong family history of disease, tall can be advantageous, and short will suggests some elevated risk. Or if a person has high cancer risks from other factors, short provides some advantage and tall suggests higher than usual risk of cancer. Risks for weight and height will be computed automatically in every Life Ahead analysis and these risks will be factored into every program result.
We can do little about our height – it is a NON-ACTIONABLE risk. But a total of all of our non-actionable risks can provide a warning about a possible future major disease. Life Ahead segregates and identifies these non-actionable risks as a guide to the health program we need to consider. A combination of non-actionable risks that individually are small can add to family history risks and produce a serious message about the need for good actionable health habits. Life Ahead will note an added risk of 10% or more associated with height as a non-actionable risk. No message of a risk associated with body height will appear in the program results for most people because the risks of heart disease and cancer usual will be self-canceling.
Why is height related to risk of disease? This question seems to have been given little attention or study. There is some indication that taller men have lower general coronary risk factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol. Height of course is strongly related to weight, and weight via the BMI is recognized as an important risk factor for both heart diseases and cancer. But a taller person of a given BMI has heavier body that does a shorter person and enjoys a bit lower - and not higher - risk of cardiovascular disease. A taller person requires a larger energy load on the heart to pump blood though the body when standing, and this should produce a modestly more cardiofit heart and cardiovascular system.
The larger body mass of the taller person may contribute further to the increased risk of cancer, similar to that produced by weight at a given height via the BMI .