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Article: Height Loss: Why it Happens and How to Prevent it, from the Harvard Health Letter.
- Article from:
- PR Newswire
- Article date:
- November 28, 2005
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BOSTON, Nov. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- As we age, we experience decreases in everything from hair and hearing to memory and muscle. Height is also on the list. Starting at about age 40, people typically lose about half an inch each decade. Why do we shrink, what are the consequences, and what can we do? The December issue of Harvard Health Letter answers these questions.
What causes height loss?
Fractures of the bones of the spine can contribute, as can slouching.
What are the consequences?
For many people, losing a little bit of height doesn't cause any health problems. But severe kyphosis (the medical term for being hunched over) sometimes ...