TALL people are more likely than shorter people to develop cancer and among women, the risk of breast, ovarian, uterine, bowel, blood or skin cancer is about 16 percent for every 4-inch increase in height.
Researchers analysed data from the Million Women Study, conducted in the United Kingdom between 1996 and 2001.
The nearly 1.3 million middle-aged women enrolled in the study had undergone an initial routine breast-screening exam and completed a basic questionnaire that collected their weight and height, Health News reported.
None had been diagnosed with any cancer and they were tracked for more than nine years on average. The researchers divided the women into six height categories, starting with those women less than 5 feet 1 inches tall, then adding four more groups of increasing height, and ending with the tallest group, which included women 5 feet 9 and taller.
The taller women in the study had high risk of a wide range of cancers. It was found that generally speaking, taller women tended to drink more alcohol and had fewer children than shorter women.
Taller women were also less obese, less likely to smoke, wealthier, and more active.
Overall, regardless of most of these factors, taller women were significantly more likely to develop most cancers, with risk ratcheting upward with every increment in height.
One exception was that among women who smoked, smoking played a more pivotal role than height in influencing cancer risk.
The research team also reviewed the findings of 10 prior studies and found a similar association between height and cancer, a connection that held across many different populations, including those in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australasia.
One possibility is that taller people may have higher levels of growth-related hormones, both in childhood and in adulthood, and these growth-related hormones may modestly increase cancer risk.
Many factors influence height, including childhood diet and health, genes and hormone levels.The researchers emphasised that the finding should not cause worry. Nobody will be trying to make themselves shorter to lower their cancer risk, and the current results do not mean tall people need additional cancer screening.
However, it is advised that that both short and tall people can lower their risk of developing and dying from cancer by not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting the recommended cancer screening tests. The study has shown that compounds found in the fruit protect cells from the ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun – the leading environmental cause of skin cancer, Daily Mail reported. Ultra violet (UV) rays increase the levels of reactive oxygen species – harmful molecules which damage the cells – in the skin.
Scientists from the University of Barcelona and the Spanish National Research Council have shown that substances called flavonoids extracted from grapes can prevent these from forming in cells exposed to UV rays.
IF YOU wish to avoid looking older than your age, try relishing grapes. A new study has found this fruit could protect against skin cancer and prevent premature ageing.
The study has shown that compounds found in the fruit protect cells from the ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun – the leading environmental cause of skin cancer, Daily Mail reported.
Ultra violet (UV) rays increase the levels of reactive oxygen species – harmful molecules which damage the cells – in the skin.
Scientists from the University of Barcelona and the Spanish National Research Council have shown that substances called flavonoids extracted from grapes can prevent these from forming in cells exposed to UV rays.
“These encouraging results should be taken into consideration… to develop new photo- protection skin products,” says Marta Cascante, a biochemist at the University of Barcelona and director of the research project.
Cascante, whose report was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, added: “This study supports the idea of using these products to protect the skin from cell damage and death caused by solar radiation.” They proved that extremely high-powered electromagnetic fields (EMFs) indeed influence learning processes on the synaptic level within the brain, independent from other factors like stress.
Scientists of the Department of Neuroanatomy and Molecular Brain Research (Professor Dr. med. Rolf Dermietzel) in cooperation with the Chair of
Electromagnetic Theory of the University of Wuppertal, performed the new study on rats.
For the experiment, rats were placed into differently powered non-thermal HEFs in the UMTS (Universal Mobile Communication System) operating range. Synaptic learning and memory formation were analysed by electrophysiological methods. Furthermore, all animals were tested for stress hormone release immediately following the HEF exposure.
Although there was daily training and effortless contact to the exposure environment, increases in blood derived stress hormone levels could be detected for all exposed groups. The stress clearly influences learning and memory formation on the synaptic level in the rat brain. High powered EMFs (SAR 10 W/kg) also have a significant effect on learning and memory formation. In contrast to this, weak EMFs (SAR 0 and 2 W/kg) lead to no detectable changes or impairments.
“These results cannot directly be transferred to humans”, explained Dr. Nora Prochnow (Medical Faculty of the RUB).
“But in the animal model, it can be demonstrated that neuronal mechanisms of synaptic learning can serve as a target for high powered EMFs,” added Prochnow.
However, there is no need for serious concerns: humans are not exposed to this type of high powered EMFs during daily mobile phone use.