Height Loss in Older Women May Signal Vertebral Fracture

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When asked by their physician how tall they currently are, postmenopausal women often overestimate their height by an average of 2.4 cm, a new study shows.

The study also confirms that loss of height with advancing age may indicate vertebral fracture, making accurate information on height important, researchers point out in an article published online March 22 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

"Thus, general practitioners need to measure the height of their postmenopausal patients and not rely on reported estimates," Karine Briot, MD, PhD, from the Department of Rheumatology, Hôpital Cochin in Paris, France, and colleagues conclude.

This study shows that older peoples' estimates of height are "not particularly accurate," George A. Kuchel, MD, who was not involved in the study, noted in a telephone interview with Medscape Ob/Gyn & Women's Health. "It's interesting because they tend to underestimate how much they lose. I think this has to do with how we perceive ourselves as we age. We view ourselves often as being much younger than we actually are and much more functional than we are," added Dr. Kuchel, who is director of the University of Connecticut Center on Aging, located in Farmington.

Prevent the fractures that come with aging.

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