Chinese state media say Yao Defen died on Nov. 13 at her home in China´s eastern province of Anhui.[break]
Guinness World Records in January 2010 had certified her as the world´s tallest living woman at 7 feet and 7 inches (233.3 centimeters).
The local Xin´an Evening News did not give the cause of death but said in a report that Yao suffered from gigantism, with a tumor on her pituitary gland disrupting her levels of growth hormone. A government official in her county who gave only his surname, Liu, confirmed Yao´s death on Wednesday.
The Xin´an newspaper said Yao learned to play basketball when young, and that she was 6 feet and 7 inches (200 centimeters) tall by the age of 15.
In a Chinese-language video from three years ago, Yao expressed anguish at her unusual height. "I am very unhappy. Why am I this tall?" she said from her bed. "If I were not this tall, others would not look at me like this."
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