Experts say the best way to stave off height loss and osteoporosis in later years is to build strong bones in childhood.

WSJ: Health Journal: Yes, You Are Getting Shorter

Height loss can alert doctors to osteoporosis that other tests miss, particularly those that measure bone density in the wrist or hip.

WSJ: Health Journal: Yes, You Are Getting Shorter

Why is height loss in men more telling than in women?

WSJ: Health Journal: Yes, You Are Getting Shorter

Height loss is also a marker for heart disease in men.

WSJ: Health Journal: Yes, You Are Getting Shorter

Because men typically have more muscle mass than women and lose bone more slowly, underlying health problems may be much more advanced by the time the height loss becomes apparent, says Sundeep Khosla, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

WSJ: Health Journal: Yes, You Are Getting Shorter

Leopold Road in south London became a conservation area because of "the cohesiveness of the height of the buildings" but that is threatened by "loss of historic features, inappropriate shop fronts and the dominating presence of traffic".

BBC: London's unique areas 'at risk'