HANDEDNESS AND LONGEVITY - ARCHIVAL STUDY OF CRICKETERS

Objective-To test whether handedness is associated with a change in longevity. Design-Archival survey. Setting-British Isles. Subjects-All first class cricketers born before 1961 whose bowling hand was specified (right, n = 5041; left, n = 1132) in a comprehensive encyclopaedia. Main outcome measures-Bowling hand and life span. Results-Regression analysis of the 5960 players born between 1840 and 1960 (3387 dead, 2573 alive) showed no significant relation between mortality and handedness (P = 0.3). Left handedness was, however, associated with an increased likelihood of death from unnatural causes (P = 0.03, log hazard 0.37, 95% confidence interval 0.04 to 0.70). This effect was especially related to deaths during warfare (P = 0.009, log hazard 0.53, 0.13 to 0.92). Conclusion-Left handedness is not, in general, associated with an increase in mortality.