According to a new research, excess shrinking of height in men with age, increases the risk of an early death. The study of older British men found that people who shrink in height by about an inch or more are more likely to die earlier than other men. They also have a greater risk of heart disease.
The study also found that height loss may be another marker of declining health in the elderly. Height loss is always accompanied by other evidence of frailty and weakness, such as weight loss, breathing trouble, loss of mobility and musculoskeletal problems, like arthritis.
The study was conducted on 7,735 men aged, who were selected from 24 British communities. It was found that men who lost three centimeters or more of height (about 1.18 inches) were at an increased risk of death, compared to men who lost less than a centimeter.
The study was not able to pin point the exact relation and why height loss is associated with an increased risk of death. It may be possible that there’s some underlying mechanism that is responsible for both height loss and other health consequences, that combine and increase the risk of death.
But more research is needed to measure the importance of muscle mass and muscle strength in the aging process. And it is unlikely that just by maintaining one’s height, one can gain longevity.
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