If you are a shorter person, you may have heard plenty of height jokes and received many short memes. But as it turns out, the joke might actually be on tall people. Research shows short people might live longer than their taller peers, and the reasons for that may surprise you.
On average, shorter people may live an average of two to five years longer than tall people. Researchers attribute this to several factors, including lower disease risk and body size composition.
This article will look at studies on longevity and height, how height and other factors might affect life expectancy, and how to live a longer and healthier life.
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 seem to 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.
Genetic variations in the FOX03 gene are 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 not as protected.
A Note on Gender and Sex Terminology
Verywell Health acknowledges that sex and gender are related concepts, but they are not the same. To accurately reflect our sources, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man,” as its sources do.
Above-Average Height and Risk for an Early Death
A 2017 study examined height and longevity in former professional basketball players. 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.
Taller Men Living Two Years Less
A long-term observational study reported in 2012 found that Italian men under 5 feet, 3 inches lived at least two years longer than their taller peers. The study examined death rates among men born between 1866 and 1915 in the same Italian village.
Researchers found that while the average lifespan for that particular group was age 70, the taller men lived about two years less than shorter men. Interestingly, when the study participants were born, the average height in their village was around 5 feet, 2 inches, which is considered short by today’s standards.
Smaller Bodies and Sex
Research has looked at body size differences in men and women and how those affect lifespan. Women seem to live longer than men, and researchers have often pointed to the effect of disease on males vs. females as a deciding factor.
The average height for people assigned female at birth in the United States is 5 feet, 4 inches. It is 5 feet, 9 inches for people assigned male at birth.
Around the world, women live one to 11 years longer than men. It is possible that having smaller bodies or being shorter can put people assigned female at birth at an advantage compared to their peers assigned male at birth when it comes to living longer.
Health Risks
Some health risks, such as the following, are associated with human height.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE): VTE is a life-threatening condition in which blood clots form in the veins and block blood flow. A 2017 study investigated the link between height and VTE among 2 million Swedish siblings.
They found men shorter than 5 fee, 3 inches had a 65% lower risk for VTE compared to men taller than 6 feet, 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 greater leg stasis (blood collection in the lower legs) because of greater 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 age 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 larger 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 lower death rates and fewer diet-related chronic or serious 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 is not entirely understood why shorter people specifically might live longer.
Some possible therapies are:
Caloric needs: Taller people might need a higher caloric intake for their bodies to function properly. 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.
Factors Affecting Life Expectancy
Life expectancy has increased over the past several decades but has slowed over time and even decreased after 2014. A significant contributor to the increase in mortality is the rising death rates for specific causes among young and middle-aged adults. Such causes include drug overdoses, suicides, organ system diseases, and, since 2020, COVID-19.
Aside from illness, suicide, and overdose, multiple factors affect mortality and life expectancy. Among them are:
Sex: On average, females live longer than males. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the life expectancy in 2022 was 80.2 years for U.S. females and 74.8 years for U.S. males.
Genetics: Variations in genes contribute to risk for many health conditions that can affect overall mortality.
Prenatal or childhood conditions: Poor conditions in utero (in the womb), at birth, or in early childhood could reduce your lifespan.
Higher socioeconomic status: A higher socioeconomic status could lead to improved longevity. This could be due to better access to health care for both physical and mental health, and participation in a healthier lifestyle, such as exercise, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating a healthier diet.
Ethnicity: Some ethnicities tend to live longer. According to the CDC, life expectancy among Hispanic people is higher than non-Hispanic Blacks or Whites.
Life Expectancy in the United States
In 2022, life expectancy in the United States was 77.5 years, which is an average of the following:
Males: 74.8 years
Females: 80.2 years
How to Live Longer and Healthier
When it comes to health and mortality risks, size and genetics are not the only determining factors. Other risk factors that you can control have an effect, including diet, exercise, smoking status, and alcohol use.
The healthy habits below can help you to live longer and healthier:
A healthy diet: A healthy diet means eating healthful foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, healthy fats, and omega-3 fatty acids. It also means avoiding unhealthy foods, including red and processed meats, sugary beverages and desserts, trans fats, and sodium.
Daily physical activity: Aim to get at least 30 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous activity daily.
A healthy body weight: A healthy body weight puts you at an average body mass index (BMI)—between 18.5 and 24.9.
Smoking: There is no healthy or acceptable amount of smoking. If you need help quitting, your healthcare provider can help.
Moderate alcohol consumption: Moderate consumption of alcohol falls between 5 and 15 grams per day for women and 5 to 30 grams per day for men. If you have health conditions or take medications to manage a serious health condition, you may want to avoid alcohol altogether.
Summary
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 not conclusive 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.
