Height and risk of fatal prostate cancer: findings from the National Health Interview Survey (1986 to 1994).
OBJECTIVE
Height is determined by genetic and nutritional factors mediated through the endocrine system early in life and, thus, may be related to subsequent risk of fatal prostate cancer. This hypothesis was examined in a large representative U.S. national sample.


METHODS
Data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were analyzed to determine whether height was prospectively related to the risk of fatal prostate cancer in 110,042 men age > or = 50 years old interviewed between 1986 and 1994. Height was self-reported and vital status and causes of death ascertained using the National Death Index. Endpoints were deaths that listed prostate cancer as the underlying cause and deaths with any mention of prostate cancer. Relative risks (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, race, weight, and education.


RESULTS
Six hundred and thirty-three deaths listing of prostate cancer as the underlying cause and 910 deaths with any mention of prostate cancer were identified. Height was associated neither with risk of death with prostate cancer listed as the underlying cause nor with risk of death with any mention of prostate cancer (multivariate p for trend = 0.1318 and 0.0698, respectively). Risks were marginally greater among the tallest men compared to the shortest (< or = 171.4 vs. > or = 182.9 cm), but not significantly (RR = 1.21, 95% CI = 0.92 to 1.57, and RR = 1.24, 95% CI = 0.98 to 1.58 for 'underlying cause' and 'any mention', respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Height alone was not related to risk of fatal prostate cancer in this population.
Freeman
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VL
Midwest Center for Health Services and Policy Research, Department of Veterans Affairs, Edward Hines, Jr. Hospital, Hines, IL 60141, USA.
Liao
Y
Y
Durazo-Arvizu
R
R
Cooper
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RS
D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology