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Subscribe to RSSBesides the cards, cake, candles, and gifts, there might be one more unexpected surprise in store for you on your birthday -- a higher risk of dying.
A new study suggests that men and women are 14 percent more likely to die on their birthday than any other day of the year. This effect was strongest in people aged 60 and older, who were up to 18 percent more likely to die on their birthday.
"We find more deaths than expected solely on birthdays, that is neither in the days before nor after the birthdays," says lead author Dr. Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross, an epidemiologist for the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Zurich.
In this large study, which was published in the Annals of Epidemiology, researchers analyzed data from more than 2.4 million Swiss people who died between 1969 and 2008. They tried to determine if there was any relationship between when people died and the cause compared to their birthdays.
"We were surprised that our findings apply to specific causes of death," says Ajdacic-Gross. Both violent causes, such as suicides and falls, as well as strokes and cardiovascular deaths were tied to birthdays. "In addition, older people are distinctly more vulnerable than younger people," he adds.
Men were more likely to have a violent demise on their birthday, as their chances of suicides spiked by nearly 35 percent and their odds of being accident victims rose by almost 29 percent. Deadly falls in men rose by 44 percent on their birthdays, and, interestingly, the number of falls started to increase about four days before the celebration took place.
When it came to natural causes of deaths, women were at greater risk -- almost 22 percent -- of passing away from a stroke on their birthday. For both ladies and gentleman, there was a nearly 19 percent increase in dying from heart-related reasons.
Scientists also unexpectedly found the risk of dying from cancer jumps by 10.8 percent on birthdays. Cancer deaths also seemed to be higher than usual in the days immediately following a birthday -- a trend not seen for any other cause of death.
But the question you may be asking is: Why? Is birthday partying to blame? Is it a psychological let-down to realize you're one year older -- and not getting any younger?
"We can only speculate on the reasons for the extra deaths on birthdays," points out Ajdacic-Gross. They suspect that birthday-related stress in older people may play a part in the jump in stroke and cardiac deaths.
Other studies have suggested that alcohol may be a reason behind the spike in suicides and perhaps even falls.
The Swiss researchers say their results support the theory of an "anniversary reaction" or "birthday blues," meaning that deaths occurred more frequently on a birthday. They suggest this is a more likely explanation than the "death postponement" hypothesis, or that deaths are less likely to take place on birthdays and people might hang on long enough to reach this yearly milestone -- or to see through certain holidays or special occasions.
Some famous people who have passed away on their birthday include the actress Ingrid Bergman, feminist Betty Friedan, and William Shakespeare.
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- Why did that weird dot just float across my eye?
- Boys smile less in yearbook photos after age 11
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Leave a Comment:
What, another piece of bushwa journalism from msnbc?
Surprise birthday parties are the culprit. It is obvious to anyone.
Luke didn't you notice where the research was done?? MSNBC wil not be alone in reporting this research, your bias is showing. Alcohol most likely plays a part and age related depression could play a role. For those with circulatory problems all the excitement could contribute to the strokes and heart attacks. In any event the statistics are interesting.
'Bushwa'- thanks Luke, I learned another word today- I like it. Bushwa means rubbish, or nonsense. Also a very apt description for this research which is a ridiculous waste of time.
Luke,
Bushwa?!!! Wow, haven't heard that term since I left home! Memories!
"Bushwa"....a term meaning rubbish or nonsense.
Makes sense it's a form of the word "Bush".
I'm going to die within six months of my birthday.
Hmmmm....so what do we do now?
I'm having my very own leap year next year. I'm 57 and I'm glad I'm still here but birthdays are getting stranger and stranger (okay..perhaps I am). I sprained my ankle on my birthday last week. At least I'm alive!
Looks like I'll just have to stay 31 years old for ever. Fine by me.
Since I turned 40, I've tried to ignore my birthday. There are no more goodies coming up except the 10% discount I'll get in a little over 20 years, and by then I'll likely be up to my neck in medical debt anyway so it won't make much of a difference.
Not sure, but I am glad I already had my birthday this year!!
!
that's a bunch of cockinbull !
Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain - and most fools do.
Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday Dear Eth.........Hey what's wrong with Ethel?
Funny!
Finally someone with humor. Laughter is healing and besides its fun.
More likely than the other 364 days of the year?
Apparently.
Yes, 14% more likely. At least in Switzerland (where the study took place). Maybe the Swiss have crazy birthday surprises?
So what? Did you also know that the odds of someone having the same birthday in a room full of 30 other people is actually 50 50?
Lovely thing to see today...guess I won't tell my husband since it's his birthday today...eek.
I've been telling people for YEARS that bad things happen around my birthday - Feb 2nd. So far, I've totaled 2 cars, one on my birthday, one 2 days later and none have been my fault. I've fallen down the stairs twice, once fracturing my eye socket. This past year, I went through an intersection and a car ran the red light and hit the car behind me! BEWARE!!
You better start staying home in bed on your birthday.
Stop celebrating your BD.
Darn, my birthday's friday, guess that will revision sitting on the table needs to get mailed tomorrow...Yuk!...LOLOLOL
I think: after a certain age (what age probably varies, depending on the person), another birthday is a reminder of death coming closer, thus, people are not that happy about their birthday, might even experience some panic, try hiding it and pretending to be in a good mood - which perhaps makes it worse ...
It's because older people have sex on their birthday and they're not physically able to do it. How about that for something to think about??? Grandma and Grandpa nekkid in bed.
Hey, don't think the young have a lock on sex; safe sex is good for you whatever your age. I'm well over the hill; have had a hysterectomy and still enjoy sex. Sex is wasted on the young; they don't truly appreciate it. Indulge in it yes, often recklessly, but they don't really appreciate it.
So, have plans for your birthday, Baby?
Not surprising. One of these days, I'll die from stuffing myself stupid at the awesome smorgasbord I go to each year for my b-day; XD
I would like to see the study. Percentage increases of small risk are irrelevant in an epidemiology study. You wouldn't even plan a detailed study unless the increase percentage was 200% to 300%. This sounds like a news journalist be fooled by an attention grabbing researcher who has no valid conclusion.
Well, first of all you can do the math. The average chance on any day would be 1 in 365 of course. 14% of that would be 1 in 2607 extra chance. That's pretty significant in epidemiology.
Furthermore, it's not like they're really saying you need to do anything -- it's not a "risk" per se. Just an interesting statistic.
With what my wife does to me every year on my birthday, I'm not surprised to hear it.
So basically, when Frosty the Snowman kept say, "Happy Birthday," what he was really saying was, "Die you gravy sucking pigs!"
On what planet is that. In my lifetime, a long one, I've never known of anyone who died on hes/her birthday. Asked a number of friends and they know of no one either!
My grandfather died on his birthday.
My grandfather might have died on your grandfathers birthday also. But he might not have also.
What an amazing coincidence! My grandfather might have too!
My granfather died on somebody's birthday.
I work on geneaology and occasionally people do die on their birthday. But the more often they WILL die close to their birthday. The same month or the one before or after is very common.
Glad I'm not the only one who noticed this. I just mentioned the other day that it seems like people die close to their birthday, all my grandparents and great grandparents have died within a few weeks to a month of their birthday.
My mother died from bone cancer one week to the day after her 74th birthday, and my father died from COPD a little over 2 weeks before he would've been 80.
I'd say this is pretty close to the results of the study.
Here I thought this might be an intelligent discussion about death and old age...
I lost my best friend last year - he'd been on dialysis for months, and knew he was too old for a transplant... He quit dialysis a week before his birthday, and his son found him on his birthday. Exactly 64 years... Butt....... He would enjoy that distinction. RIP Michael....
What a bunch of hooey! Have to admit that I didn't read the entire article, but! please! my parents died closer to my birthday than theirs. I'm May, they were July and December. Both passed away in May! 11 days apart! Is that significant?? Study was a waste of time. Someone needs to find something more worthwhile to do with their lives!
More studies of shrimp on a treadmill is called for here in this study.
If you died in birthDAY , TO any womb be back, the womb of the fire OR womb of Committee, if you do not find the uterus to return, DID you back again to life like the return OF Devil to Paradise
Thank you, Dr. Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross, for that followup.
SEEAM60, Is there a chance this question could be phrased in some semblance of cohesive English, please?
Well this is "comforting" to hear three days before my birthday. -_-
Another related study shows that many people are likely to be born on their birthdays.
Now you're just talkin' crazy.
No no CharlieBubbles ,
Science has proven that you are born on your birthday. $17 Million was awarded to the university that did the study in Federal grants. They used this money to buy more treadmills and shrimp.
Treadmills and shrimp? For another study? The mental image is disturbing, little shrimp legs running on tread mills...
Stupid, U really have an 86% chance of not dying. Waste of money again on some silly study.