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American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 140, No. 4: 368-374
Copyright © 1994 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health

research-article

Handedness and Mortality Risk in Older Women

James R. Cerhan1, Aaron R. Folsom1,, John D. Potter1 and Ronald J. Prineas2

1Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota School of Public Health Minneapolis, MN.
2Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami School of Medicine Miami, FL.

Reprint requests to Dr. Aaron R. Folsom, Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 1300 South Second Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454

Left-handedness has been associated with decreased longevity, although this finding is controversial and not universal. The authors prospectively studied 39,691 women aged 55–69 years from the Iowa Women's Health Study through 5 years of mortality follow-up. No increase in mortality risk was found for left-handed women as compared with right-handed women (age-adjusted hazard ratio 1.10, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 0.86–1.39) or for ambidextrous women (age-adjusted hazard ratio 1.05, 95% Cl 0.73–1.49). Adjustment for body mass index, body fat distribution, smoking, and education did not alter these findings. Further analysis by cause-specific mortality (breast cancer, all other cancer, and circulatory disease) showed no relation to handedness. There was no difference in the mean age at death of left-handed, right-handed, and ambidextrous women. These findings do not support an association between left-handedness and increased mortality risk. Am J Epidemiol 1994;140:368–74.

aging; cohort studies; laterality; mortality


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