If true, this would support the hyperfunctional theory of aging. It would also show that cell growth pathways(mtor,mapk,ifg-1,etc.) cause cells to grow unnecessarily, leading to cancer and chronic diseases.
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I haven’t studied the hyperfunctioning theory of aging as much as I ought to. Quick question: how does that theory account for the decline in Human Growth Hormone with aging?
You can think of it as if it has turned vicious circle. First of all, growth hormone causes growth in cells after the age of maturity, the growing and uncontrolled cells increase over time and the pituitary gland loses its function due to aging and the growth hormone decreases accordingly, but by then what has already happened has already happened. You can also think of it as the rule of compound interest. Over time, senescent cells increase so much that after a while, organs and tissues lose their functions even if you do nothing. Senescent cells also zombify other cells with the cytokines they secrete.
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As a shorter person, I hope it means I have a lower risk of cancer.
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I’d care less than cancer specifically and more just general health. Seems like short + female = higher centenarian probability. I’m normal height, but I think a lot about tall people, especially in the context of how society values height culturally (sports, dating, etc). Yet the glaring elephant in the room might(?) be that their long-term health isn’t better.
As usual, one only has to look at the extreme examples to gain insight.
Llaron dwarves are virtually immune to cancer. Dwarves who have a HGH deficiency or receptor mutation are quite long lived.
Nearly all centenarians and especially Supercentenarians are of tiny stature.
At the other end of the spectrum: acromegalic giants usually die young. Diabetes, arthritis and cancer are prevalent. Bodybuilders who abuse HGH and other steroids for years also do not typically live to ripe old age.
Finally, there is abundant evidence in the literature that simply being tall (without gigantism) results in a shorter life expectancy than being short.
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There may be a difference between being 4’2 and 6’10 in life expectacy but is there a difference between being 5’7 and 6’2?
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If this is true, what would the treatment be?
Go back in time, order rapamycin with your parent’s credit card and take it from early childhood to mid-20s.
I read that very tall people are more likely to have CVD than average-height individuals. But I think that risk can be minimized by a healthy diet, weight, activity.
I don’t have the papers at hand. But from what I recall the relationship between height and mortality is pretty strong and linear.
Maybe, if you had a large enough sample size, you’d pick up the difference between 5’7 and 6’2.