Handedness and Life Span: [Letter]

Abstract

Data on the cause of death were analyzed separately for accidental and medical causes, since there are data to indicate that left-handers are more susceptible to accident-related injuries.6 As expected, significantly more left-handers than right-handers died in accidents (7.9 vs. 1.5 percent, z = 3.81, P<0.001), with a relative risk of 5.7 (95 percent confidence interval, 2.1 to 15.4). [...]left-handedness may indicate covert neuropathologic features (perhaps sequelae from prenatal and perinatal complications) or immune-system dysfunction. Suspected autoimmune disorders and left-handedness:evidence from individuals with diabetes, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.