Research shows tall people at risk of serious health problems

There is an important relationship between a person’s height and their health and people who are taller may be at risk of developing certain health problems in comparison to shorter people, a study has shown.

According to Science Daily, the study was carried out by the Million Veteran program of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The results of the genetic study showed that tall people are more likely to develop peripheral neuropathy atrial fibrillation and circulatory disorders; however, the risk of coronary artery disease is lower.

Dr. Sridharan Raghavan of the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System conducted the study.

While the results are interesting, more research is needed to bring about change to the health care system, he explained.

Raghavan stated that height might be a risk factor for some conditions and “protective” for others.

It is not clear whether the correlation between height and health conditions necessarily has an organic basis.

While genes contribute to a person’s size, other factors such as nutrition, socioeconomic status, and demographics such as age and gender also play a role.

As a result, it is risky to determine the link between height and health risks.

As part of that study, 280,000 veterans participated in that research.

Research has revealed that genes predicted height in white patients could be related to 127 different medical conditions.

The results of the study showed that tall persons also had a lower risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

However, height can increase the risk for more than one non-cardiac disease.

Peripheral neuropathy, for example, damages nerves apart from the brain and spinal cord. This and other studies suggest a relatively higher risk of nervous problems among tall people.

Researchers have linked other neuropathic conditions, such as erectile dysfunction and urinary retention, with genetically predicted height.

Other serious conditions such as chronic leg ulcers, cellulite, skin abscesses, and osteomyelitis have also been found to be height-linked.

Circulatory conditions such as varicose veins and thrombosis are also predominant in large individuals, the study said.

In women, height increases the risk of asthma and unspecific nervous disorders.