How Long Do Short People Live? – You may have heard many height jokes and received many short memes if you are a shorter person. But as it turns out, the joke might be about tall people. Research shows that short people might live longer than their taller peers, and the reasons for that may surprise you.
On average, shorter people may live two to five years longer than tall people. Researchers attribute this to factors like lower disease risk and body size composition. This article will examine longevity and height studies, how height and other factors might affect life expectancy, and how to live a longer and healthier life.
Table of Contents
Do Short People Live Longer?
“Longevity” means a “long life” or a “long life duration.” Living a longer life does not mean that life is easier or that the person is not burdened by disease or disability; it just means years longer than the average lifespan.
Many people assume that being tall means a healthy and long life, but various studies dispute this. Genetics and a healthy lifestyle also significantly influence health and longevity.
Here is What the Research Has To Say About Height And Lifespan.
The FOX03 Gene
Genetic variations in the FOX03 gene remain linked to longevity in humans and animals. The gene is also associated with body size and various biological processes essential for health over your lifespan, including substrate metabolism (a chemical reaction), protein turnover, and cell survival and death.
Variations of this gene can also offer protection from certain diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurological disorders.
A 2014 observational study reported in PLOS One examined the FOX03 genotype and its link to height and lifespan in Japanese American men. Researchers found that the men who were 5 feet 2 inches or shorter were more likely to be protected by FOX03 and would live longer. Those over 5 feet 4 inches would have shorter lives and were less protected.
A Note on Gender and Sex Terminology
Above-Average Height and Risk for an Early Death
A 2017 study examined height and longevity in former professional basketball players.5 The researchers found that a taller body can mean a reduced lifespan.
This study included 3,901 living and deceased players who played basketball from 1946 through 2010. Players had an average height of 6 feet, 5 inches. The top 5% in height died younger than the players at the bottom 5% in height.
Here, the researchers noted that genetics, socioeconomic status, health care, weight, education, smoking, nutrition, and exercise were additional factors that could affect lifespan.
Average Height for Males
Taller Men Living Two Years Less
According to research, while the average lifespan for that particular group was 70, the taller men lived about two years less than the shorter men. Interestingly, when the study participants were born, the average height in their village was around 5 feet, 2 inches, which is short by today’s standards.
Health Risks
Some health risks, such as the following, are associated with human height.
Some researchers found that men shorter than 5 feet and 3 inches had a 65% lower risk for VTE than men taller than 6 feet and 2 inches. They also looked at a group of pregnant people and found that those 5 feet, 1 inch, and shorter had a 69% lower risk for VTE compared to pregnant people 6 feet and taller.
The study’s researchers suspect people with longer legs and tall people are subject to more significant leg stasis (blood collection in the lower legs) because of more significant hydrostatic pressure (pressure exerted by liquids within blood vessels).
All causes and cancer: A 2016 study looked at the connection between height and cancer risk, as well as death from all causes, by examining the death certificates of 14,440 men and 16,390 women aged 25 and up.
The researchers determined an additional inch in height meant a 2.2% higher risk of death from all causes for men and a 2.5% higher risk for women. They also found an additional inch meant a 7.1% increased risk of death from cancer for men and a 5.7% increased risk of death from cancer for women.
Atrial fibrillation (A-fib): A-fib is a dangerous heart rhythm disorder. Research from the European Society of Cardiology found that taller and larger-framed women were up to 3 times more likely to develop A-fib than shorter, smaller-framed women.
According to the 16-year study, the larger the body as a young adult, the more likely A-fib is. They suggest this is due to the increased size of the atria in the heart in more significant people, which could interrupt electrical pathways and put extra pressure on the lungs due to body size.
Why Might Height Affect Life Expectancy?
Research on death has shown that smaller, shorter bodies have lesser death rates and fewer diet-related chronic or severe illnesses. This finding has been consistent in both human and animal studies. Examples of diet-related conditions are high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, and gallstones.
While additional factors like nutrition and access to healthcare play a part in longevity, it remains not entirely known why shorter people specifically might live longer.
Some possible therapies are as follows:
Caloric needs: Taller people might need a higher caloric intake for their bodies to function correctly. As noted in various studies, they have longer and heavier bones and larger internal organs.
Fewer cells: Taller people have many millions more cells than shorter people. More cells mean more exposure to free radicals (unstable molecules produced by cell metabolism that can damage DNA) and external and internal toxins.
Less cell repair: As the human body ages, it must work harder to repair tissues. The more cells a person has, the more repairing that must occur, which may, in turn, affect lifespan.
Conclusion
Numerous studies have found a connection between height and longer life. Shorter people might live longer because of their small stature and how their height affects disease risk. However, these studies are inconclusive because risk factors, including lifestyle and genetics, come into play.
The best thing you can do if you want a longer life, regardless of your height, is to live a healthy life. That means eating healthy, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and keeping your alcohol use low.
