Handedness and Mortality Risk in Older Women

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Abstract
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.

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