Guillaume Onyeaghala1, Pamela L Lutsey1, Ellen W Demerath1, Aaron R Folsom1, Corinne E Joshu2,3, Elizabeth A Platz2,3, Anna E Prizment4,5,6. 1. Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA. 2. Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA. 3. Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA. 4. Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA. prizm001@umn.edu. 5. Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA. prizm001@umn.edu. 6. Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S 2nd St, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN, 55454, USA. prizm001@umn.edu.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Previous studies have reported that taller people have an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). We examined the association of two height components-leg length and sitting height-with CRC risk in 14,532 individuals aged 45-64 years in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. METHODS: Anthropometrics were measured at baseline (1987-1989). Incident CRC cases (n = 382) were ascertained from 1987 to 2012. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for CRC and colon cancer across quintiles of sex-specific leg length and sitting height. RESULTS: The highest (versus the lowest) quintile of leg length was associated with a 36% greater CRC risk (p-trend = 0.04), and 51% greater colon cancer risk (p-trend = 0.01). For the top four quintiles combined, risk was increased by 34% for CRC and by 45% for colon cancer versus the lowest quintile. Total height and sitting height were not significantly associated with CRC or colon cancer risk. A small number of cases (n = 57) limited our ability to conduct subgroup analyses for rectal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: A positive association of leg length with CRC and colon cancer risk suggests that biological mechanisms leading to greater leg length during puberty may explain the association between taller height and CRC.
PURPOSE: Previous studies have reported that taller people have an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). We examined the association of two height components-leg length and sitting height-with CRC risk in 14,532 individuals aged 45-64 years in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. METHODS: Anthropometrics were measured at baseline (1987-1989). Incident CRC cases (n = 382) were ascertained from 1987 to 2012. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for CRC and colon cancer across quintiles of sex-specific leg length and sitting height. RESULTS: The highest (versus the lowest) quintile of leg length was associated with a 36% greater CRC risk (p-trend = 0.04), and 51% greater colon cancer risk (p-trend = 0.01). For the top four quintiles combined, risk was increased by 34% for CRC and by 45% for colon cancer versus the lowest quintile. Total height and sitting height were not significantly associated with CRC or colon cancer risk. A small number of cases (n = 57) limited our ability to conduct subgroup analyses for rectal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: A positive association of leg length with CRC and colon cancer risk suggests that biological mechanisms leading to greater leg length during puberty may explain the association between taller height and CRC.
Entities:
Keywords:
ARIC; Colorectal cancer; Leg length; Prospective cohort; Risk
Authors: Aaron P Thrift; Jian Gong; Ulrike Peters; Jenny Chang-Claude; Anja Rudolph; Martha L Slattery; Andrew T Chan; Tonu Esko; Andrew R Wood; Jian Yang; Sailaja Vedantam; Stefan Gustafsson; Tune H Pers; John A Baron; Stéphane Bezieau; Sébastien Küry; Shuji Ogino; Sonja I Berndt; Graham Casey; Robert W Haile; Mengmeng Du; Tabitha A Harrison; Mark Thornquist; David J Duggan; Loic Le Marchand; Mathieu Lemire; Noralane M Lindor; Daniela Seminara; Mingyang Song; Stephen N Thibodeau; Michelle Cotterchio; Aung Ko Win; Mark A Jenkins; John L Hopper; Cornelia M Ulrich; John D Potter; Polly A Newcomb; Robert E Schoen; Michael Hoffmeister; Hermann Brenner; Emily White; Li Hsu; Peter T Campbell Journal: Int J Epidemiol Date: 2015-05-20 Impact factor: 7.196
Authors: W C Willett; L Sampson; M J Stampfer; B Rosner; C Bain; J Witschi; C H Hennekens; F E Speizer Journal: Am J Epidemiol Date: 1985-07 Impact factor: 4.897
Authors: D Gunnell; S E Oliver; J L Donovan; T J Peters; D Gillatt; R Persad; F C Hamdy; D E Neal; J M P Holly Journal: J Clin Endocrinol Metab Date: 2004-01 Impact factor: 5.958
Authors: Jenny Brändstedt; Sakarias Wangefjord; Signe Borgquist; Björn Nodin; Jakob Eberhard; Jonas Manjer; Karin Jirström Journal: J Transl Med Date: 2013-11-21 Impact factor: 5.531
Authors: Elise Whitley; Richard M Martin; George Davey Smith; Jeff M P Holly; David Gunnell Journal: Cancer Causes Control Date: 2008-10-15 Impact factor: 2.506