In a new study from Johns Hopkins Medicine, researchers found that taller adults may be more likely than shorter ones to develop colorectal cancer or colon polyps that can later become malignant.
The study strengthens long-observed links between taller stature and colorectal cancer risk.
One possible reason for this link is that adult height correlates with body organ size. More active proliferation in organs of taller people could increase the possibility of mutations leading to malignant transformation.
While the association between taller height and colorectal cancer has been previously examined, those studies offered conflicting results.
In the study, the team reviewed findings from 47 international, observational studies involving 280,660 cases of colorectal cancer and 14,139 cases of colorectal adenoma.
They also included original data from the Johns Hopkins Colon Biofilm study, which recruited 1,459 adult patients undergoing outpatient colonoscopies.
They found that the tallest people within the highest percentile of height had a 24% higher risk of developing colorectal cancer than the shortest within the lowest percentile.
Every 10-centimeter increase (about 4 inches) in height was found to be associated with a 14% increased risk of developing colorectal cancer and a 6% increased odds of having adenomas.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average height in the U.S. for men is 5 feet, 9 inches, and for women, it is 5 feet, 4 inches.
This means men who are 6 feet, 1 inch and women who are 5 feet, 8 inches (4 inches/10 centimeters above the average U.S. height) or taller are at a 14% increased risk of colorectal cancer and a 6% increased risk of adenomas.
In the U.S., more than half of all colorectal cancers are linked to modifiable lifestyle factors, including unhealthy diet, insufficient physical activity, smoking, and high alcohol consumption.
Although not directly comparable because of the difference in measurement scale, tallness may impart an order of magnitude of colorectal cancer risk similar to better-known modifiable factors such as cigarette smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, and high processed red meat intake.
Currently, gastroenterologists focus on genetic and age-related risks for recommending colorectal cancer screenings.
The team says more research is needed to define particular taller populations at risk for colon cancer.
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The study is published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention and was conducted by Gerard Mullin et al.
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