你有沒(méi)有想過(guò)，為什么人老了會(huì)變矮？為什么有些人老了以后身高縮水那么多？怎樣才能預(yù)防身高縮水？來(lái)看看專家怎么說(shuō)。

Once you become an adult, you typically reach your full height. But your height can change with age, and it's no myth — you shrink with time.

人在成年之時(shí)，通常身高會(huì)達(dá)到頂點(diǎn)。但是你的身高會(huì)隨著年齡而改變，年紀(jì)大了就會(huì)變矮，這并不是什么秘密。

People usually lose about a centimeter in height every 10 years after age 40, according to Medline Plus, and that pace of height loss speeds up after age 70. Overall, you can lose between 1 to 3 inches in height as you age, per Medline Plus.

醫(yī)學(xué)網(wǎng)站Medline Plus稱，在40歲后每過(guò)十年人的身高通常會(huì)縮水1厘米左右，70歲后身高縮水速度會(huì)加快?？傮w來(lái)看，人在年老后身高會(huì)縮水1到3英寸（2.5到7.6厘米）。

While age-related height loss is normal, there are times when it's a sign of an underlying health condition.

盡管人老了變矮是正常現(xiàn)象，但是有時(shí)候也預(yù)示著潛在的健康問(wèn)題。

Why do you get shorter as you age?

為什么人老了會(huì)變矮？

On a macro level, you get shorter as you age due to changes in the bones, muscles and joints. "There are a few different things going on here," Dr. Angela Catic, a geriatrician and associate professor in the Huffington Center on Aging at Baylor College of Medicine, tells Yahoo Life. One, she says, is that the discs between the vertebrae in your spine lose fluid as you get older. "They become dehydrated and, with that, they lose height — and you lose a bit of height," she says.

從宏觀層面來(lái)看，人在衰老時(shí)會(huì)因?yàn)楣趋?、肌肉和關(guān)節(jié)的變化而變矮。美國(guó)貝勒醫(yī)學(xué)院赫芬頓衰老研究中心的老年病學(xué)專家、副教授安吉拉·卡蒂克博士告訴雅虎生活頻道：“有幾種不同情況?！币环N情況是，年紀(jì)大了以后，脊柱椎間盤所含的液體會(huì)減少。她指出：“脊柱椎間盤脫水后會(huì)變短，從而讓你變矮?！?/p>

Abdominal muscles also tend to weaken over time, which can create a stooped posture, causing you to appear shorter, Catic says.

卡蒂克說(shuō)，另一種情況是，腹部肌肉隨著時(shí)間流逝會(huì)衰弱，從而會(huì)導(dǎo)致駝背，讓你看起來(lái)更矮。

In women, menopause can speed up bone loss "due to the loss of the protective effects of estrogen on bones," Dr. Arashdeep Litt, an internal medicine physician with Spectrum Health, tells Yahoo Life. That, too, can cause you to get shorter.

健康機(jī)構(gòu)Spectrum Health的內(nèi)科醫(yī)生艾拉什迪普·利特博士告訴雅虎生活頻道，女性絕經(jīng)會(huì)加速骨質(zhì)流失，因?yàn)椤按菩约に貙?duì)骨骼的保護(hù)作用減弱了”，這也會(huì)令其變矮。

But height loss can also be due to osteoporosis, a bone disease that develops when bone mineral density and bone mass decreases, or when the quality or structure of bone changes, Litt says. That can decrease your bone strength and increase your risk of fractures, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

但是利特指出，變矮也可能是由骨質(zhì)疏松導(dǎo)致的，骨質(zhì)疏松指的是骨密度和骨量下降，或骨骼質(zhì)量或結(jié)構(gòu)發(fā)生改變。美國(guó)國(guó)立衛(wèi)生研究院稱，這會(huì)降低骨骼強(qiáng)度，增加骨折風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。

How to tell the difference between normal height loss and signs of osteoporosis

如何區(qū)分正常的身高縮水和骨質(zhì)疏松癥？

So, how can you know what's behind your shrinking size? Your doctor will suspect osteoporosis if you have an overall height loss of 1.5 inches or more, Litt says. "This much height loss is a sign of osteoporosis and warrants a bone density test," she says.

那么，怎么知道是什么原因?qū)е伦约鹤儼哪兀坷卣f(shuō)，如果你身高縮水總量超過(guò)1.5英寸（3.8厘米），你的醫(yī)生就會(huì)懷疑你得了骨質(zhì)疏松癥。她指出：“身高縮水這么多是骨質(zhì)疏松的跡象，需要進(jìn)行骨密度測(cè)試?！?/p>

The test can tell how strong your bones are and will determine if you have osteoporosis, as well as your risk of fractures in the future.

這種測(cè)試可以測(cè)出你的骨強(qiáng)度，并確定你是否有骨質(zhì)疏松癥，以及未來(lái)發(fā)生骨折的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。

How to prevent height loss

如何預(yù)防身高縮水

Again, some height loss is normal. But Catic says you can lower your risk of height loss by doing the following:

年紀(jì)大了變矮一些是正常的。但是卡蒂克指出，你可以通過(guò)做以下幾件事來(lái)降低身高縮水風(fēng)險(xiǎn)：

Exercise regularly.

定期鍛煉

Lift weights (this, along with regular exercise, stresses your bones and makes them stronger).

舉重（舉重和定期鍛煉都能強(qiáng)健骨骼）

Eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D to support bone health.

攝入有助于骨骼健康的富含鈣和維生素D的膳食

Avoid smoking, excessive alcohol use and excessive caffeine intake — all of which are risk factors for osteoporosis.

避免吸煙、酗酒和過(guò)量攝入咖啡因，這些都是導(dǎo)致骨質(zhì)疏松的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)因素

英文來(lái)源：雅虎新聞

翻譯&編輯：丹妮