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That's the size of the cancer risk

You are tall? Then we have good news for you now: you have a lower risk than a small person to develop heart disease.

Can you get more cancer when you grow up?
Photo: Istock
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  1. Per ten centimeters of height increases the relative risk of developing cancer in men 11 percent. For women, it's 18 percent.
  2. The risk of developing black skin cancer even increases by 30 percent
  3. Women have ten centimeters of additional height and a 20 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer.

Unfortunately, now comes the bad news: A Swedish study has found that large people are more likely to get cancer. Especially the risk of breast and skin cancer is increased.

5.5 million Swedes were examined by the team headed by EmelieBenyi from the Stockholm-based Karolinska Institutet. The persons were born between 1938 and 1991 in Sweden. All cancer cases from the age of 20 years were examined. The result : The bigger a person, the higher his risk of developing cancer.

Big people are more likely to be athletic and healthy. As another study at the beginning of the year showed, they also suffer less from heart disease than small people.

The results of the Swedish study actually determine the cancer risk to the nearest centimeter.

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Per ten centimeters of height increases the relative risk of developing cancer in men 11 percent. For women, it's 18 percent.

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The risk of developing black skin cancer even increases by 30 percent

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Women have ten centimeters of additional height and a 20 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer.

Unfortunately, the study does not provide the reasons for the increased risk. However, there are various explanations:

The increased production of growth hormones may also stimulate the production of cancer cells.

Another explanation is that larger people are more vulnerable because they simply have more body cells that can potentially change.

Previous smaller studies confirm the results of the Swedish cancer study. However, the results can not be generalized to the individual. Risk factors, such as smoking or sunburn, can also be crucial for cancer risk.

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