127 Medical Conditions.

According to a large-scale Mendelian randomization-phenome-wide association study* by the VA Million Veteran Program, height may be an independent risk factor for various common medical conditions. Traditional research into the influence of height on health is often confounded by environmental factors such as nutrition and socioeconomic status. In general we presume greater height means greater physical fitness. By linking genetic data to the medical records of more than 280,000 veterans, researchers were able to uncover biological connections that exist independently of contextual influences and prejudice.

The results demonstrate that genetically predicted height can be linked to the risk levels of 127 different medical conditions. Although the analyses reveal that being taller appears protective against cardiovascular problems, and is associated with a lower risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and coronary heart disease, greater height increases the risk for the majority of non-cardiovascular conditions evaluated in the study. This was particularly evident for peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage in the extremities) and venous circulatory disorders, such as varicose veins and thrombosis. This nerve damage may also manifest as related complications, including erectile dysfunction and urinary retention. Furthermore, conditions such as cellulitis, skin abscesses, chronic leg ulcers, bone infections (osteomyelitis), and foot deformities were also linked to greater height.

* Mendelian randomization is a research method used to determine whether a specific risk factor like body height directly causes a disease, rather than just being correlated with it. Instead of just measuring someone’s actual height, a Mendelian study looks at their DNA. When you are conceived, nature randomly assigns you genetic variants that make you more likely to be tall or short. Because these genes are handed out randomly at birth, they are unaffected by your later lifestyle. If people who inherited “tall genes” develop a specific disease more often, scientists can confidently conclude that the height itself is the causal trigger for the disease and not an environmental coincidence.