This week 7 foot 7 inch actor Neil Fingleton passed away at the age of 36. He was one of the tallest people alive, and the tallest in Europe. But not the tallest ever. That title goes to american Robert Wadlow, who reached 8'11''. Wadlow passed away in 1940 at the age of 22, and was one of only 19 people known to have reached 8' or taller - of which only four are currently alive. It seems that cases of extraordinary heights are usually rooted in the pituitary gland, which secretes various hormones. Tumors or other issues can cause the gland to overproduce growth hormones, and continue to produce them beyond the age at which one's body should have fully matured. Already it is difficult for human organs to support such a stature, and the added risk of cerebral problems caused by malfunctioning pituitary glands means that the life expectancy of these individuals is quite low, usually 30 - 40 years. However, there have been exceptions to this trend, such as Don Koehler (who lived to 56 and reached 8'2''), or Felipe Birrel (who lived to 78 and reached 7'11'').
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