Shorter Men Live Longer

Submitted by ub on

University of Hawaii researchers set out to determine the relation between height, FOXO3 genotype and age of death in humans. The initial results indicate that being called shorty is not so bad after all.

Height in mid-life is positively associated with mortality, with shorter stature predicting longer lifespan. Height was, moreover, associated with fasting insulin level and the longevity genotype of FOXO3, consistent with a mechanistic role for the IIS pathway.

A longitudinal study involving a relatively homogenous population followed for more than 40 years has found height to be positively associated with mortality. FOXO3 genotype might be a contributing factor to this association. Replication is required in other settings in order to determine whether the present findings can be generalized to other racial groups and populations.

Shorter Men Live Longer: Association of Height with Longevity and FOXO3 Genotype in American Men of Japanese Ancestry http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0094385