By Nancy Alexander, PT, CSCS
After one of my online classes recently, a woman asked if it was true that we get shorter with age. “My doctor said we do but I don’t want to believe him,” she added with a smile. “It’s true,” I replied. “We do get shorter.” While some loss of height is normal, an excessive amount may indicate an underlying health problem that could require attention. In this article, we’ll shed some light on what is normal height loss, what are the causes, and what you can do about it.
Height loss affects us all. Normal bone loss usually starts at around age 40. Many reports show that you can lose up to half an inch in height every decade. Women lose more height than men, on average, and it is considered normal for a woman to lose up to two inches of height by age 70. Men normally lose about 1 ½ inches by then. After the age of 80, it is possible to lose another inch regardless of gender.
It is important to keep track of your height and record any loss you experience. If you lose too much too fast, that may be considered abnormal and a consult with your physician should be scheduled to discuss it. There are a number of factors that contribute to height loss. Much of this is due to our spine and other weight-bearing bones.
Over the years, the discs between your spine’s vertebrae can get thinner, thus causing a loss of height. The spaces between weight-bearing joints such as your hips and knees narrow. Flattening of the arches of the feet may contribute to this as well as loss of muscle in your torso which can contribute to a stooped posture. Poor health, poor nutrition, metabolic changes in your body and curvature of the spine can all play a role in height loss for older adults.
An excessive loss of height in a short period of time may be a marker for other causes which are considered more serious health risks. This includes a loss of bone density associated with osteoporosis, heart disease and even dementia.
Osteoporosis, or low bone density, is considered one of the primary reasons for excessive height loss. Low bone density occurs in your bones that have a high content of a certain type of bone, trabecular bone. This is present at the end of your long bones like the femur (hip) and radius (wrist), as well as in your spinal vertebrae.
When it comes to weight-bearing joints, osteoporosis can cause small compression fractures in your hips and spine which contribute to loss of height. Studies show that over half of those fractures are painless, thus if you experience one you are often unaware of the problem. Furthermore, height loss due to low bone density can mean you are at a greater risk for bone fractures than someone with normal bone density.
Heart disease has been associated with excessive height loss. For example, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Library of Medicine, Choi et all discovered a link between cardiovascular disease and loss of height which was featured in the article, “Association Between Height Loss and Cardiovascular Disease in the Korean Elderly.”
This study followed 4213 men in the UK aged between 60 and 79 years. The researchers measured participants’ height changes after a period of 20 years. After a mean follow-up period of 6 years, compared to the group with a height loss of < 1 cm, the group with a height loss of ≥ 3 cm had a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease and higher risk of cardiovascular mortality. (1)
Dementia and excessive height loss has also been studied. Another study published by the NIH found that rapid height loss was associated with faster declines in cognition and elevated risks of dementia. This article titled, “Associations of Height Loss with Cognitive Decline in Incident Dementia in Adults Aged 50 Years and Older,” by Guo and Song, suggests rapid height loss may serve as an early marker of progressed neurodegeneration in middle-aged and older adults. (2)
While there are causes seemingly out of your control, some may be due to your habits. These habits include slouching, lack of weight-bearing exercise, smoking, alcohol use, steroid use, extreme dieting, and poor nutrition.
You can’t change your past but you can improve your habits now. Act sooner rather than later. Here are some things you can do to help prevent excessive height loss:
- Improve your diet and nutrition: A diet rich in calcium and vitamin D (such as dairy products, fruits and vegetables) can help keep your bones and joints strong. Limit alcohol use to less than 2 drinks per day. Alcohol interferes with the body’s ability to absorb calcium and vitamin D, both essential for strong bones.
- Don’t smoke or at least smoke less. Smoking has been linked to decreased bone density.
- Limit steroid use: Steroid medications can affect the rates by which calcium and vitamin D are absorbed into the bones. This reduction can lead to bone loss, broken bones, and osteoporosis. If you use corticosteroids, be sure to speak with your physician or orthopedist about any affects they may be having on your bone density.
- Improve your posture: Good posture can keep your bones strong, prevent joint pain, and keep you balanced. Check out our video in this month’s Living Well Academy Newsletter for a simple standing exercise you can do to improve your posture while strengthening your upper back.
- Move: Exercises that include weight-bearing, impact, and resistance training help strengthen both your bones and muscles that support good posture and help maintain normal height. Be sure to include core strengthening to help improve your posture and protect your spine. Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking farther from your destination to force yourself to walk more, stand instead of sitting. Weight lifting, even with small weights, will help strengthen your bones.
If you suspect you are experiencing excessive height loss, speak to your physician about it right away. Ask your doctor if it’s the right time to get a bone density test. This test tells you if you have normal bone density, low bone density (osteopenia) or osteoporosis. It is the only test that can diagnose osteoporosis before a broken bone occurs. Considering starting a new exercise program? Ask your physician to discuss if it’s a good fit for you.
As we age, losing some height is normal. But too much height loss too fast can be a sign of other health problems. Monitor your height and adjust your lifestyle habits to decrease your risk of disease. Start now and do what you can to live your life as healthy, and as tall, as possible.
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Great article, with strong reliable sources. Thank you for the detailed info.
You’re welcome Nola. Thanks for your feedback. Be well.
Very helpful information!!! I had lost about an inch in height after 40 and now I have a better perspective.
Glad to help Diane!