A disappearing act
There’s at least one benefit to being short: “The air is clearer down here,” says Dr. David Reuben, the 5-foot-6-inch chief of the division of geriatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. His patients might need that encouragement: Many of them discover that they’re shorter than they used to be when getting measured at a routine checkup or being tested or treated for a medical condition. “It’s very gradual, and if it’s not interfering with function, it’s basically cosmetic and it’s nothing to worry about,” Reuben assures them. But when is shrinking cause for concern?
A shrinking spine
Shrinking isn’t just something old folks do: You may begin to lose one-quarter to one-half inch of height each year as early as your 30s, says Dr. Wayne Johnson, an orthopedic surgeon in Lawton, Oklahoma, and a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ Board of Councilors. That adds up so that, by age 70, men may be an inch shorter than they were in their youth while women — who tend to shrink even more — could be down a full 2 inches. Why? “The discs between each vertebrae … tend to dry out with aging,” Reuben explains. “And as a result, [the spine] tends to compress.”
Osteoporosis
Swear you’re much shorter than you used to be? It could be related to osteoporosis, a common age-related disease meaning “porous bone.” “As you lose mineral in your bone, the bone can compress, and that’s part of the normal aging process,” Johnson says. What’s not normal is when those bones fracture — a problem that’s a lot less noticeable in the spine than, say, the hip. That’s why the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends bone mineral density testing for women ages 65 and older. “Treatment might not so much build height, but build bone [mass] so further fractures don’t occur,” Reuben says.
Poor posture
Perhaps you should have listened to your mother when she told you to sit up straight. “The core muscles, back muscles, aren’t as well-conditioned [with age] and so we slouch more,” Johnson says. “Sometimes, that slouching can lead to permanent changes.” But it’s never too late to work toward abs of steel; research suggests that core strength training regimens and Pilates can improve strength, balance and your ability to perform everyday tasks while also helping to prevent falls. Yoga-like activities work well, too, Reuben says. Other small changes — like holding up your iPhone to meet your gaze or seeing an occupational therapist for posture-improving guidance — can also help retain height, Johnson says.
Medications and medical treatments
Cancer survivors can add another potential long-term effect of treatments like radiation and chemotherapy to the list: a higher risk of osteoporosis, according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. People who have been on breast and prostate cancer medications that lower testosterone and estrogen levels can be particularly affected, since the lack of those hormones may spur the absorption of bone tissue, Johnson adds. People with other conditions like rheumatoid arthritis that may be treated with steroids — another type of drug that can weaken bones — may also “shrink” more or sooner due to their higher risk for compression fractures.
Poor nutrition
Popeye was onto something: Slamming spinach might not build that cartoonish bicep, but the calcium in those leafy greens can help keep your bones strong and your height high. “Eat a nutritious diet focusing on calcium and vitamin D,” Johnson suggests, citing foods like fish, lean meats, broccoli, kale, almonds, sardines and dairy as examples. On the flip side, poor nutrition — as well as excessive alcohol use and smoking — can age your bones, potentially shrinking you sooner. “Up to about 30 or 35 years of age, we’re gaining more bone than we’re losing, but that reverses after 35,” Johnson says. “If you have some nutritional deficiencies, that can speed that up.”
Environmental factors
Can a thin wallet lead to a shrinking spine? Perhaps, according to one study finding that older adults with better educations, higher incomes and homes in the city shrunk less than their less educated, poorer, rural counterparts. But Johnson, who was not involved in the research, expects the link has more to do with issues of poor nutrition, less exercise and obesity — which can weigh on and weaken joints and bones — than income alone. “It may not be the fact that people are in rural areas or that people have less education,” he says. “It may just be they have less resources available.”
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Am I Really Shrinking? originally appeared on usnews.com
