# Why Do People With High IQs Live Longer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 29, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152 "2009-03-29T03:34:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/1 "2009-03-29T03:34:34Z")
Is it true that scores on IQ tests are positively correlated with greater lifespan? If so, why is this the case? Does this finding still hold once you adjust for obesity, which is known to be both negatively correlated with IQ and positively associated with increased mortality? Does it hold if you adjust for smoking and mortality risk due to occupational hazards? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/2 "2009-03-29T04:05:40Z")
For one thing . . . in countries without universal healthcare, people with high IQs are more likely to have health insurance, and so have greater access to doctors, medications, etc. Also, people with better-paying jobs can afford to eat healthier, if they choose to. There might also be sociological factors, like less exposure to violence in general. And white-collar jobs tend to have fewer physical risks than blue-collar jobs. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/3 "2009-03-29T04:08:47Z")
Yeah, and fewer “Hey guys, watch this!” moments. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/4 "2009-03-29T04:18:15Z")
There have been studies that link alzheimer’s with average or lower IQs. We only tend to hear about the mental effects of the disease, but as the disease progresses many of the symptoms are physically debilitating too. ---
**Author:** ![Tarwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@Tarwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarwater)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/5 "2009-03-29T04:20:25Z")
IQ tests have a strong cultural bias, and generally privilege people with a formal education. If you have a formal education, you’re more likely to have access to health-care. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/6 "2009-03-29T04:31:36Z")
Two other reasons come to my mind. First; smarter people are more likely to take intellectually difficult work, which tends to be less dangerous. And second, I’d expect higher intelligence to have a small but detectable correlation with general physical health. Physical beauty does have such a correlation; despite the stereotype, good looking people are on average just a bit smarter. As I understand it, this is thought to be because good looking people tend to have fewer defective or substandard genes ( specifially, those defective genes which affect appearance ), some of which can affect the mind as well as the body. The same principle should apply the other way around; smart people are going to have fewer defects than average ( since some defects lower intelligence ), and so they should have a slightly longer natural lifespan. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/7 "2009-03-29T04:52:57Z")
My guess is that smoking is the biggest difference-maker. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/8 "2009-03-29T04:58:09Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > And second, I’d expect higher intelligence to have a small but detectable correlation with general physical health. Physical beauty does have such a correlation; despite the stereotype, good looking people are on average just a bit smarter. As I understand it, this is thought to be because good looking people tend to have fewer defective or substandard genes ( specifially, those defective genes which affect appearance ), some of which can affect the mind as well as the body. The same principle should apply the other way around; smart people are going to have fewer defects than average ( since some defects lower intelligence ), and so they should have a slightly longer natural lifespan. Not only that, but physical health, physical beauty and intelligence are all affected by childhood nutrition. So if you have someone who was malnourished enough for it to affect their intellect, it probably also isn’t helping their health. ---
**Author:** ![Mojo\_Pin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mojo\_Pin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo_Pin)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/9 "2009-03-29T05:46:08Z")
> [@Tarwater](#): > > IQ tests have a strong cultural bias, and generally privilege people with a formal education. If you have a formal education, you’re more likely to have access to health-care. I’m curious–do you have any links with relevant info? I for one first took the test as a 1st grader, before any formal education and in an unfamiliar language. More recent tests haven’t made a difference, and there’s even been a slight drop. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/10 "2009-03-29T06:11:50Z")
So people’s IQs change as they gain or lose weight? If I’m in one country where large women are given a higher value (Italy or Spain) and I am thin, will my IQ go up when I go to America where the standard for beauty is skinnier? What if really tall women are valued and I am only 5’9"? Does that make me dumber than the 6’4" beauty? If my brother has only four years at Oxford is his IQ lower than my sister who spent six years at Cowabunga State? What if the only reason I smoked was because I wanted to run through a meadow and meet a man? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/11 "2009-03-29T08:05:43Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Yeah, and fewer “Hey guys, watch this!” moments. I understand that’s what did in the Queen Mum at 105: she said: Hey kids watch me chug this whole bottle of Beefeater! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/12 "2009-03-29T08:34:52Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > So people’s IQs change as they gain or lose weight? If I’m in one country where large women are given a higher value (Italy or Spain) and I am thin, will my IQ go up when I go to America where the standard for beauty is skinnier? Probably not, since those are all variable physical qualities. Simple weight change isn’t going to change your intelligence as an adult. Unless you take it to extremes perhaps. > [@Zoe](#): > > What if really tall women are valued and I am only 5’9"? Does that make me dumber than the 6’4" beauty? Statistically, good looking, tall people are going to be smarter, since on average those qualities result from having fewer genetic defects and better nutrition. That doesn’t necessarily mean you are though. > [@Zoe](#): > > What if the only reason I smoked was because I wanted to run through a meadow and meet a man? Since smoking is a foolish act, I’d expect smokers to be on average less intelligent. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/13 "2009-03-29T09:09:27Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Since smoking is a foolish act, I’d expect smokers to be on average less intelligent. Doubtful. A lot of smart cookies smoke, and a lot of not so smart people do not. It’s a stress/addiction thing, not intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/14 "2009-03-29T11:12:16Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > Doubtful. A lot of smart cookies smoke, and a lot of not so smart people do not. Which is why I said “on average”. I’d expect smart people to avoid starting smoking more than stupid people ( once they start, intelligence won’t do them any good ). Just as I’d expect smart people on average to be more likely to avoid doing stupid things in general. > [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > It’s a stress/addiction thing, not intelligence. Only once you start. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/15 "2009-03-29T12:06:23Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > So people’s IQs change as they gain or lose weight? If I’m in one country where large women are given a higher value (Italy or Spain) and I am thin, will my IQ go up when I go to America where the standard for beauty is skinnier? What if really tall women are valued and I am only 5’9"? Does that make me dumber than the 6’4" beauty? If my brother has only four years at Oxford is his IQ lower than my sister who spent six years at Cowabunga State? What if the only reason I smoked was because I wanted to run through a meadow and meet a man? > **[Correlation](https://xkcd.com/552/)** ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/16 "2009-03-29T13:40:38Z")
This seems better for Great Debates than General Questions. I’ll move it there, where you can still get a factual answer if there is one to be had. **Gfactor** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/17 "2009-03-29T13:44:24Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > Is it true that scores on IQ tests are positively correlated with greater lifespan? If so, why is this the case? > > Does this finding still hold once you adjust for obesity, which is known to be both negatively correlated with IQ and positively associated with increased mortality? Does it hold if you adjust for smoking and mortality risk due to occupational hazards? > > Thanks. As you probably know, IQ is a bit of a touchy subject. That said, Linda Gottfredson had some interesting thoughts on the subject. Here is a list of her publications: > **[Linda Gottfredson](http://www1.udel.edu/educ/gottfredson/reprints/index.html)** If you do a find for “health” or “life” you can find some articles which touch on your issue. For example, [this](http://www.udel.edu/educ/gottfredson/reprints/2005BMJrapidresponse.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![sovtawen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@sovtawen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sovtawen)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/18 "2009-03-29T15:46:16Z")
IQ scores are also correlated with things like childhood nutrition and exposure to stress (kids who grow up in war zones or abusive environments have lower IQ scores). It also happens that lack of nutrition and high stress will shorten a person’s life significantly. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/19 "2009-03-29T15:48:43Z")
First is it true? [Yes.](http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/322/7290/819) > [@](#): > > Childhood mental ability was positively related to survival to age 76 years in women (P\<0.0001) and men (P\<0.0001). A 15 point disadvantage in mental ability at age 11 conferred a relative risk of 0.79 of being alive 65 years later And [yes.](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VBF-4C707GD-4&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=fdb8c9266da53dbe804d367fb3093687) > [@](#): > > This study investigated the influence of childhood IQ on the relationships between risk factors and cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke in adulthood … Childhood IQ was negatively correlated with diastolic and systolic blood pressure, and positively correlated with height and respiratory function in adulthood. For each of CVD, CHD and stroke, defined as either a hospital admission or death, there was an increased relative rate per standard deviation decrease (15 points) in childhood IQ of 1.11 (95% confidence interval 1.01–1.23), 1.16 (1.03–1.32) and 1.10 (0.88–1.36), respectively. With events divided into those first occurring before and those first occurring after the age of 65, the relationships between childhood IQ and CVD, CHD and stroke were only seen before age 65 and not after age 65. [By what mechanism?](http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2239240) > [@](#): > > Educational attainment is associated with longevity (Adler, Marmot, McEwen, & Stewart, 1999; Elo & Preston,1996), and a healthy lifestyle may be one of the numerous benefits that education confers (Yen & Moss, 1999). Lower educational attainment is associated with less healthy eating habits (e.g., Kristal, Hedderson, Patterson, & Neuhauser, 2001), greater risk of cigarette smoking (e.g., Bergen & Caporaso, 1999), and less leisure-time physical activity (He & Baker, 2005). Yeah, it seems to be that smart people take on [fewer dumb habits.](http://jech.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/61/11/997) > [@](#): > > In sex-adjusted analyses, higher IQ score at age 10 years was associated with a reduced prevalence of current smoking (ORper 1 SD advantage in IQ 0.84; 95% CI 0.80, 0.88), overweight (0.88; 0.84, 0.92), obesity (0.84; 0.79, 0.92), and hypertension (0.90; 0.83, 0.98), and an increased likelihood of having given up smoking by the age of 30 years (1.25; 1.18, 1.24). These gradients were attenuated after adjustment for markers of socioeconomic circumstances across the life course, particularly education. … Essentially the same pattern of association was evident when the predictive value of IQ scores at five years of age was examined. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152/20 "2009-03-29T16:41:47Z")
And there is [this too.](http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/193/6/461) > [@](#): > > Our study finds evidence for a strong, inverse relation between IQ and death by homicide; persons with higher IQ scores were less likely to be murdered. The novel findings are based on data from almost 1 million men who were well characterised for IQ, comorbidity, socio-economic position and mortality. This relation appeared to be independent of other risk factors for homicide … > > … In the present analyses we adjusted for the two markers of childhood socio-economic circumstances (parental social class and height) and the IQ–homicide effects estimates were essentially unaltered. … education had only a small effect on the IQ–homicide association … > > … verbal skills are highly loaded on general intelligence.8 All other factors being equal (e.g. personality traits, context, past experiences), as discussed, it might be that people with higher intelligence are more able to verbally conduct and nullify a dispute, without having to resort to physical means, because they can call on a larger range of strategies for resolution. … it may be that persons with low cognitive ability are more likely to place themselves in circumstances of higher personal jeopardy so leading to elevated homicide risk. … there is evidence that perpetrators have IQ scores lower than that of the general population, even after those with intellectual disabilities are excluded from analyses.22,23 That is, there appears to be an association between the IQ of the perpetrator and risk of committing homicide. As evidenced by assortative mating, in general, people tend to seek the company of like-IQ individuals (among other characteristics). Since in cases of homicide, perpetrator and victim are often known to one another,24 it is likely that we are, at least in part, observing an association between low IQ of the perpetrator and raised risk of committing homicide And [this.](http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/169/5/606) > [@](#): > > A nationwide cohort of 1,116,442 Swedish men who underwent IQ testing at about 18 years of age was followed for mortality experience for an average of 22.6 years. In age-adjusted analyses in which IQ scores were classified into 4 groups, relative to the highest scoring category, the hazard ratio in the lowest was elevated for all injury types: poisonings (hazard ratio (HR) = 5.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.25, 7.97), fire (HR = 4.39, 95% CI: 2.51, 7.77), falls (HR = 3.17, 95% CI: 2.19, 4.59), drowning (HR = 3.16, 95% CI: 1.85, 5.39), and road injury (HR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.91, 2.47). Dose-response effects across the full IQ range were evident (P-trend \< 0.001). Control for potential covariates, including socioeconomic position, had little impact on these gradients. And [this.](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050123221644.htm) > [@](#): > > Few previous studies have assessed the association of measures of intelligence with suicide, and results have often conflicted. > > Researchers analysed the results of four intelligence tests, performed at conscription into military service, for 987,308 Swedish men. The men were monitored for up to 26 years and suicides were recorded. > > Better performance on the tests was associated with a reduced risk of suicide. The strongest associations were with the logic test score, where the risk of suicide was three times higher in the lowest compared with the highest scorers. So really lower IQ individuals _do_ make dumber choices than higher IQ individuals do - in health habits like smoking or not quitting and whether or not they exercise, perhaps in who they hang out with and in how they deal with conflict, and in how they otherwise manage their personal safety. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-with-high-iqs-live-longer/491152.md?page=2)