Records from four European countries show that, on average, survivors of generations with rampant childhood infection were shorter and died sooner than counterparts from generations with less childhood disease.

When rates of infection dropped due to improved public health practices, adult survivors grew taller and lived longer.

Eileen M. Crimmins, the study's lead researcher says, "Our model implies that the reduction in lifelong levels of infections and inflammation reduced and delayed the progression of cardiovascular disease and mortality due to heart disease and allowed for increased height."

The study identified that increases in height did not always follow improvements in income and nutrition. In addition, height decreased during some periods of improving income in early industrial cities.

The authors concluded that a reduction in infection and resulting inflammatory load had the potential to increase height independently of improved food intake.