What is the primary reason older adults lose height with age?

What is the primary reason older adults lose height with age?

• A. Decreased muscle mass
• B. Thinning of the vertebral discs
• C. Many older adults develop osteoporosis
• D. Most older adults have some degree of kyphosis

Answer: (B)

Height loss with aging mainly comes from changes in the spine, especially the intervertebral discs. As people age, discs lose water and proteoglycans, become thinner and less resilient, and the height between each pair of vertebrae decreases. This gradual disc thinning reduces overall spinal height, producing a shorter stature. While osteoporosis-related vertebral fractures and kyphosis can also shorten height, disc thinning is the broader, more universal reason older adults lose height. Decreased muscle mass and posture changes can affect appearance, but they don’t cause the actual reduction in vertical height as directly as disc thinning.

Height loss with aging mainly comes from changes in the spine, especially the intervertebral discs. As people age, discs lose water and proteoglycans, become thinner and less resilient, and the height between each pair of vertebrae decreases. This gradual disc thinning reduces overall spinal height, producing a shorter stature. While osteoporosis-related vertebral fractures and kyphosis can also shorten height, disc thinning is the broader, more universal reason older adults lose height. Decreased muscle mass and posture changes can affect appearance, but they don’t cause the actual reduction in vertical height as directly as disc thinning.