Yao Defen died at 40 years and 2.33 meters high (Image source: The Tallest Man)

According to news released today in the Chinese press, the world's tallest woman, Yao Defen, died in mid-November at the age of 40 from a brain pituitary gland tumor, also responsible for causing Defen grew so big.

Born in 1972 in Anhui Province, the Chinese woman was 1.85 meters at 13 years old and over 2 meters at 15 years old. Defen's gigantism was caused by growth hormones secreted by a brain tumor, and in 2006, after undergoing surgery, the recorder's disease no longer plagued her. Even so, the symptoms returned about a year later, when the family could no longer afford to pay for a new surgery.

(Image source: The Tallest Man)

Weighing 200 pounds and wearing shoes number 55, Defen also suffered from hypertension, malnutrition, osteoporosis and various heart disease. The tallest woman in the world was set by "Guinness" in 2011 and Defen averaged 2.33 meters when she passed away.