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.