PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Bulpitt, C J
AU  - Markowe, H L J
AU  - Shipley, M J
TI  - Why do some people look older than they should?
AID  - 10.1136/pmj.77.911.578
DP  - 2001 Sep 01
TA  - Postgraduate Medical Journal
PG  - 578--581
VI  - 77
IP  - 911
4099  - http://pmj.bmj.com/content/77/911/578.short
4100  - http://pmj.bmj.com/content/77/911/578.full
SO  - Postgrad Med J2001 Sep 01; 77
AB  - BACKGROUND As a component of studies on biological age, the age of subjects from their appearance (perceived age) was estimated. OBJECTIVE To determine the factors associated with looking older. METHODS Cross sectional study of London civil servants (318 men, 129 women) in the Department of the Environment study. Perceived age was recorded by an observer and the difference between this age and chronological age was analysed according to 20 different variables. RESULTS Men had an average perceived age of 0.37 years older than their actual age and women a perceived age of 0.54 years younger. In men, looking older was related to greying of the hair, grade of arcus senilis, and grade of baldness. Less expected, looking older was positively related to total serum cholesterol (p=0.03) and blood haemoglobin (p<0.01). In women, looking older was related to greying of the hair, positively to blood erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and negatively to serum bilirubin (p=0.01). Looking older was not related to alcohol consumption, employment grade, serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, albumin, and calcium in either sex. CONCLUSION The relationships between looking older and total cholesterol and haemoglobin in men and ESR and bilirubin in women, require further investigation. In men looking older than you should is related to a high serum cholesterol and haemoglobin. In women looking older may be related to a high ESR and a low serum bilirubin. Predictably looking older was related to baldness, greying of the hair, arcus senilis, and skin inelasticity.