Study: Tall people more likely to suffer from these conditions

By Stephen Beech via SWNS

Tall people are more likely to suffer from a debilitating nerve condition as well as skin and bone infections - including leg and foot ulcers, warns new research.

The results of the largest study of its kind also confirmed previous findings that being tall is linked to a higher risk of an irregular heartbeat and varicose veins.

However, lanky lads and lasses are at lower risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, according to the findings published in the journal PLOS Genetics.

Height has been a factor linked with several common complaints, ranging from heart disease to cancer.

However, scientists have struggled to determine whether being tall or short is what puts them at risk, or if factors that affect height - such as nutrition and socio-economic status - are actually to blame.

In the new study, Dr. Sridharan Raghavan and his colleagues at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center set out to remove the confounding factors by looking separately at connections between various diseases and a person's actual height, and connections to their predicted height based on their genetics.

The team used data from the VA Million Veteran Program, which included genetic and health information from more than 200,000 white adults and more than 50,000 Black adults.

The results confirmed previous findings that being tall is linked to a higher risk of atrial fibrillation and varicose veins, and a lower risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

The study also uncovered new associations between greater height and a higher risk of peripheral neuropathy, which is caused by damage to nerves on the extremities, as well as skin and bone infections, such as leg and foot ulcers.

Researchers looked at more than 1,000 conditions and traits overall, making it the largest study of height and disease to date.

They concluded that height may be a previously unrecognized risk factor for several common conditions in adults.

However, they say that more studies are needed to clarify some of the associations.

Raghavan said: "Using genetic methods applied to the VA Million Veteran Program, we found evidence that adult height may impact over 100 clinical traits, including several conditions associated with poor outcomes and quality of life – peripheral neuropathy, lower extremity ulcers, and chronic venous insufficiency."

He added: "We conclude that height may be an unrecognized non-modifiable risk factor for several common conditions in adults.”