Comments on: Height & Long Life http://www.sciencentral.com/video/2008/04/03/height-long-life/ Making Sense of Science Thu, 17 May 2012 01:26:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: thomas t samaras http://www.sciencentral.com/video/2008/04/03/height-long-life/#comment-3049 thomas t samaras Thu, 22 Dec 2011 04:06:28 +0000 http://www.sciencesensei.com/2008/04/03/height-long-life/#comment-3049 I have studied the relation between height and longevity for almost 4 decades. My findings have been published in various scientific and medical journals and books. In summary, it appears that shorter height promotes longevity. For example, Holzenberger and associates found that shorter men lived longer based on a population 1.3 million Spanish males tracked for a 70 year period. The very short Okinawans are also noted for their great longevity and have one of the highest rates of centenarians. The short Sardinians also live a long time. In fact, a region noted for its longevity is shorter than the rest of Sardinia. In addition, the shortest Sardinians have the longest longevity. Based on US government data, shorter Asians have a lower age-adjusted mortality than taller Whites and Blacks. Latinos and Native Americans are in between these two groups in terms of height and mortality. Women live longer than men. A comparison between US white men and women found that men lost about .5 year/cm of increased height. This number was the same for a study done in Sweden and a variety of other studies comparing shorter and taller men. I also found baseball players, football players, basketball players, famous people, and veterans lived longer if they were shorter. Professor Dennis Miller also found that shorter men and women lived longer in an Ohio population. One reason for a longevity advantage in shorter, lighter people is that they have lower levels of insulin-like growth factor which is tied to increased risk of cancer and reduced longevity. In addition, producing a bigger body uses up the replication potential of cells through initial growth and then replacement of defective cells during one's lifetime. Since most somatic cells have a potential replication of 50-100 times, using more cell replications to produce and maintain a bigger body, leaves a lowered capacity to replace defective cells at older ages. For more information, see www.humanbodysize Also Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling, Nova Science Publications, 2007 I have studied the relation between height and longevity for almost 4 decades. My findings have been published in various scientific and medical journals and books. In summary, it appears that shorter height promotes longevity. For example, Holzenberger and associates found that shorter men lived longer based on a population 1.3 million Spanish males tracked for a 70 year period. The very short Okinawans are also noted for their great longevity and have one of the highest rates of centenarians. The short Sardinians also live a long time. In fact, a region noted for its longevity is shorter than the rest of Sardinia. In addition, the shortest Sardinians have the longest longevity.

Based on US government data, shorter Asians have a lower age-adjusted mortality than taller Whites and Blacks. Latinos and Native Americans are in between these two groups in terms of height and mortality.

Women live longer than men. A comparison between US white men and women found that men lost about .5 year/cm of increased height. This number was the same for a study done in Sweden and a variety of other studies comparing shorter and taller men.

I also found baseball players, football players, basketball players, famous people, and veterans lived longer if they were shorter. Professor Dennis Miller also found that shorter men and women lived longer in an Ohio population.

One reason for a longevity advantage in shorter, lighter people is that they have lower levels of insulin-like growth factor which is tied to increased risk of cancer and reduced longevity. In addition, producing a bigger body uses up the replication potential of cells through initial growth and then replacement of defective cells during one’s lifetime. Since most somatic cells have a potential replication of 50-100 times, using more cell replications to produce and maintain a bigger body, leaves a lowered capacity to replace defective cells at older ages.

For more information, see http://www.humanbodysize

Also Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling, Nova Science Publications, 2007

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