A recent research carried out by researchers from Manchester University has linked the risk of developing cancer with height. The researchers claimed that every extra four inches of height elevates the risk of developing cancer by 16%. The new research has also found that the phenomenon is not limited to any types of cancer. The study was published online in The Lancet Oncology.

Dr. Jane Green, who led the research, said that growth in height is related to the hormonal growth factors which lead to a higher turnover of cells, which could be the possible reason behind the phenomenon.

She said, “So there is no gender bias and the association seems to apply to a range of cancers it’s just most studies have been carried out on the more common ones like breast and colorectal”.

The results also have revealed that the increases in the height of populations over the course of the 20th century might also help in explaining some of the changes in cancer incidence over time.

The height of European adults increased by about 1cm per decade during the twentieth century and there was about 10-15% rise in cancer cases over this period.