ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Health

Health habits influence how much we shrink with age

Tibi PuiubyTibi Puiu
April 2, 2013
in Health, Research
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

Medieval manuscripts and modern technology reveal Earth’s volcanic past
15-million-year-old pine cones still have the moves
Eye tissue grown from scratch in the lab used to restore sight to blind rabbits
Thousands of methane-filled bubbles are waiting to explode in Siberia

old-age A new survey conducted by researchers at University of Southern University, Harvard University and Peking University have found that lifestyle choices during adulthood influence how much we will shrink in height as we age. Other studies had analyzed how health and height are linked both in childhood and adulthood, however the present study is the first to examine height loss as we age.

“Had we only examined the correlations between measured height and health, we would have missed this important insight,” said John Strauss, professor of economics at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and an investigator on a study published in the April issue of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics. “The evidence shows that it is not only early-life events that are associated with how we age, but health decisions in later life as well.”

Typically humans grow in height up until they turn 21 years in age, while some might grow or stop growing, respectively, up to a few years after or before this threshold. It’s rather well known and frustrating, however, that typically after 40 years of age, humans shrink in height. On average, we shrink about a quarter to a third of an inch per decade for every decade after 40. All told, men will get about 1.2 to 1.5 inches shorter, and women will lose up to 2 inches, by age 70.

This is due to a number of factors. As we age, the discs between our vertebrates lose fluid, so they flatten just a tad, but in the process come close together. What happens is your spine is actually shrinking a bit, following a decrease in overall height. It’s important to note that the limbs never shrink. Loss of muscle mass with age also leads to a poorer posture, which also adds weight to the impression of shrinkage.

The present study used data gathered from a longitudinal  survey of 17,708 adults beginning at age 45, from June 2011 to March 2012, which includes both subjective self-reported responses to survey questions, as well as objective physical measurements such as blood tests. The survey covers 150 counties randomly chosen throughout China.

One of the researchers’ findings was  an especially strong relationship between height loss and cognitive health. For instance, it was found that individuals who had lost more height than usual were also more likely to perform poorly on standard tests of cognitive health, such as short-term memory, ability to perform basic arithmetic and awareness of the date.  In addition, having completed primary school, rather than being illiterate, is associated with 0.9 cm less height shrinkage in men — a large difference when considering that overall average height loss for men is 3.3 cm. Completing high school meant an additional 1 cm less in shrinkage.

For women, having completed primary school was the difference in 0.6 cm of shrinkage, compared to average overall height decrease of 3.8 cm.

“Height has been recognized as an acceptable proxy for childhood health conditions, but there are complications there,” said USC Dornsife economist Geert Ridder, a co-investigator on the study. “Some of adult health might be determined by childhood circumstances, but people shrink differentially, and that shrinkage is also a measure of adult health conditions.”

Share2TweetShare
Tibi Puiu

Tibi Puiu

Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines. He has a B.Sc in mechanical engineering and an M.Sc in renewable energy systems.

Related Posts

Health

Your gut has a secret weapon against ‘forever chemicals’: microbes

byMihai Andrei
18 hours ago
News

High IQ People Are Strikingly Better at Forecasting the Future

byTibi Puiu
18 hours ago
Health

Newborns Feel Pain Long Before They Can Understand It

byTudor Tarita
19 hours ago
News

Cheese Before Bed Might Actually Be Giving You Nightmares

byTudor Tarita
20 hours ago

Recent news

Your gut has a secret weapon against ‘forever chemicals’: microbes

July 3, 2025

High IQ People Are Strikingly Better at Forecasting the Future

July 3, 2025

Newborns Feel Pain Long Before They Can Understand It

July 3, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.