Tall people are more likely to get cancer. Are they also more likely to get Covid? If so, why? A study from Oxford finds a higher prevalence of Covid-19 among people who are more than six feet tall. I wonder if this could have something to do with blood pressure and angiotensin.
I have suffered from orthostatic intolerance issues since moving out of a moldy house in 2014. If I stand up too swiftly or remain standing for too long, it can feel as if I am going to lose consciousness.
I am average height (female, 5’5”). A person who is 4 feet tall vs. a person who is 7 feet tall: if each has normal blood pressure, they will both test as approximately 120/80. But wouldn’t the tall person’s blood pressure actually be higher, sub-clinically (behind the scenes)?
When blood moves through the body, it is not merely from the force created by the heart, the pump. It’s not like a strongman game at a carnival, where you ring a bell by hitting a target with a hammer. There is also peripheral resistance all along the way.
If I vasoconstrict, I can increase the pressure in the system. Vasoconstriction increases the pressure from the outside. But I can also increase the pressure from the inside, by increasing the size of my RBCs. One way or another, I need peripheral resistance. When my circulation functions best, the tightness of the blood vessels and the size of the RBCs match.
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