|
Changes in bone, muscles and joints typically lead men and women to become shorter
as they age. Although a small amount of height loss is normal and probably not
associated with any disease, more significant height loss may be a sign of osteoporosis
(thinning of the bones). Substantial height loss can affect breathing and digestive
functions, leading to poor eating habits and weight loss, and may be associated
with sarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass.
S. Goya Wannamethee, Ph.D., University College Medical School, London, and
colleagues studied 4,213 men who originally enrolled in the British Regional
Heart Study between 1978 and 1980. Follow-up examinations were conducted 20
years later, when the men were 60 to 79 years old. At that time, the men completed
a questionnaire providing details about their lifestyle and medical history.
They were asked to describe their current health status—excellent, good,
fair or poor—and whether their physician had ever told them they had cardiovascular
disease or a number of other conditions. Participants’ height and weight
were measured both at the beginning of the study and at the 20-year follow-up;
they were monitored through 2004 to see if they had developed cardiovascular
disease, and deaths were tracked through 2005.
Between the initial examination and the 20-year follow-up, the men lost an
average of 1.67 centimeters of height. The researchers divided the participants
into four groups based on how much their height changed: 1,471 lost less than
1 centimeter; 1,330 lost between 1 and 1.9 centimeters; 807 lost between 2 and
2.9 centimeters; and 605 were 3 centimeters shorter or more. During the average
of five years that they were followed after that, 760 men died. Risk of death
increased with height loss and was substantially higher in men who lost 3 centimeters
or more—they were 64 percent more likely to die during the course of the
study than those who lost less than 1 centimeter. Most of the additional deaths
in men who had lost height were attributable to cardiovascular disease, respiratory
disease or other non-cancer diseases. Height loss was also associated with an
increased risk for coronary heart disease events, even after the researchers
adjusted for prior cardiovascular disease and its known risk factors.
Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:2546-2552.
==========================
Advertisement
Multivitamin Supplements & Diabetes:
Recent research confirmed that taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement
has a positive impact on the quality of life for people with diabetes. So regularly
taking a multiple is an easy choice, but for most finding the right one to trust
with their health proves to be a more difficult matter. alpha betic(r) is uniquely
balanced to meet the special dietary needs of people with diabetes and those
predisposed to diabetes. alpha betic(r) contains 23 important nutrients in safe
and balanced doses, with no copper. For more information: Click Here
http://www.diabetesincontrool.com/ads/alphabetic/dest.php
|
Entries (RSS News)
