LOSING STATURE Men who lose three centimeters of height or more as they age are at an increased risk of mortality from any cause as well as coronary heart disease (CHD).
British researchers examined 4,213 men in 1998-2000 and compared their heights with previous measurements 20 years before. About 14 per cent of the older men (aged 60 to 79) had lost three centimeters (1.2 inches) or more during the two decades. Even after taking common risk factors for heart disease into account, researchers in a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that these men faced significantly larger risks for CHD but not for stroke.
The reasons for what appears to be higher risk for men who lose height are unclear. It’s possible that bone loss — a factor in height loss — is the indirect result of heart threats like high LDL (bad”) cholesterol and inflammation. But curiously, the researchers found no association between smoking and height loss even though a cigarette habit contributes to bone loss.