Early diet may keep Alzheimer's risk at arms length

Published on Monday 5 May 2008 21:57

LEGGY women and lanky men not only have a height advantage, they are less likely to develop Alzheimer's, a study suggests.

Researchers found a link between short limbs and a heightened risk of dementia. They measured the arm-length and knee-height of 2,798 men and women with an average age of 72. Five years later, 480 of the participants had developed Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia.

In women, for every extra inch of leg, the chances of developing dementia or Alzheimer's were reduced by 16 per cent. Women with the shortest arm-spans were 1.5 times more likely to suffer mental decline than those with longer arms.

As far as men were concerned, only arm-span was linked with a lower risk of dementia. With every increased inch in arm length, the risk was reduced by 6 per cent.

For men and women, the associations were stronger for Alzheimer's than other forms of dementia.

Dr Tina Huang, who led the research at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, in the United States, added that a poor diet in early life, when the legs grow fastest, can cause stunting, or reduced height for age. "As a result, environment in the first years of life may play an important role in determining future dementia risk," she said.