The Size Of This Body Part Could Predict How Long You'll Live
Recent research suggests that calf circumference may serve as a reliable indicator of longevity and frailty in older adults. Studies indicate that smaller calf measurements are associated with a higher risk of mortality, potentially reflecting age-related muscle loss.
Why it matters
Understanding simple physical markers for health can help older adults and medical professionals better assess risks for frailty and chronic conditions.
We've written before at HuffPost UK about how the size of a person's temporalis (chewing) muscle could reveal their dementia risk.
And your glutes' strength and size may even show how you're ageing .
As it turns out, another muscle measure – our calf size – has been associated with a longer lifespan, too.
This seemed especially true in older adults.
In 2021, researchers published a paper after following 796 older adults over nine years.
By the end of the study, 197 of the participants had died. Those with a low BMI (less than 18.5) were at a significantly higher risk of mortality.
And of those studied, older adults with calf circumferences under 31cm seemed to have roughly double the risk of death during the almost-decade-long follow-up period.
The study authors concluded calf circumference "was an independent predictor of mortality".
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