Being tall can have its advantages, but a new genetic study linked height with significant health problems, such as a higher risk of developing heart disease and endometriosis throughout one's lifetime. Endometriosis is a reproductive condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. While genetics and environmental factors together influence a person’s height, the stature can also prove to be a risk factor for determining the risk of atrial fibrillation, which occurs when the heart quivers rapidly and erratically instead of beating regularly, said the researchers from the China Medical University Hospital in Taiwan.“By integrating genetic data across multiple East Asian biobanks, we show that the genetics of stature is linked not only to growth-related traits but also to clinically relevant outcomes—most notably atrial fibrillation and endometriosis," said the team in the paper."These results suggest that stature-related polygenic scores could help improve early risk stratification in East Asian populations,” they added.Also read: Woman Left Medically Infertile After Seven Surgeries For Endometriosis That She Did Not HaveKey FindingsThe team led by Fuu-Jen Tsai conducted a large-scale genetic analysis on people of East Asian origin. They analyzed 120,000 Han Taiwanese individuals and compared them with 27,966 controls with familial short stature (FSS) -- a harmless condition where people are short due to inherited genetics -- to find genetic factors. The study also linked a person’s height to overall body size and lung function, as well as cardiovascular traits and reproductive traits, including the age when menstruation starts.Their findings, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, identified 293 genetic variants linked to height and five linked to familial short stature. The genetic variants responsible for tall stature increased the risks of both atrial fibrillation and endometriosis. In comparison, the genetic factors for short statures offered a slight protection against endometriosis. The results proved that taller stature increased the risk of atrial fibrillation independently. But the risk of endometriosis was determined through menarche/weight in taller people.The Role Of Estrogen A 2020 study from Denmark shares a possible explanation for the link between height and increased risk of atrial fibrillation: the rising estrogen levels. Estrogen is a hormone known to promote the growth of the lining of the womb and is also believed to play a role in growth spurts during puberty. The study, published in the Annals of Human Biology, showed that taller and slim girls in childhood had a high risk of developing endometriosis. The study also marked a lower body mass index as an increased risk of endometriosis. However, further research is needed to validate these associations and inform clinical applications.