Height Isn't Always Might: Why Taller People Have Shorter Lifespan

Many people desire to be taller in height. Taller people are admired by many people, they can reach things from higher places easier and are more likely to become basketball players. However, being taller might also mean having a shorter lifespan.

Medical Daily reports that being taller is linked to several health complications such as cancer. The reason for this is that taller people have more number of cells which increase the chances of developing cancer cells. Taller people are also more at risk of having respiratory diseases because their lungs supposedly do not work as efficiently as shorter people.

"After looking at data for 5.5 million men and women living in Sweden between 1938 and 1991, researchers found that for every four-inch bump in height, overall cancer risk rose 18 percent in women and 11 percent in men," Medical Daily shared. "Meanwhile, a similar study conducted by researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that tall postmenopausal women have a 13 percent higher cancer risk compared to their shorter counterparts."

In one study, researchers found that cross country skiers live seven years longer than basketball players. Basketball players are six inches taller than the cross country skiers. Slate reports that there are only 48 centenarians for every one million in European countries with taller people while there are 77 centenarians for every million in the European countries with shorter people.

However, a separate study shows that there are important health benefits to being taller. Taller people are less likely to develop heart disease compared to shorter people because they have bigger arteries and veins that are less likely to get clogged, which can lead to heart failure. "In a study of more than 200,000 people, every 2.5 inches of height meant a 13.5 percent lower likelihood of coronary artery disease," The Atlantic reported the findings of the said study that has been recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.