You know it will come one day. It does to everyone. But we don’t know what day. Or do we?
Research indicates we are more likely to die on our birthday than on any other day. A Swiss study set out to determine that relationship between the day of our birth and the day of our death. It examined the death records of two million people. It turned out that approximately 14 percent more people died on their birthday than on any other day of the year.
They called this the “birthday blues,” which may seem, in the minds of most people, a minimal characterization of such a calamitous event.
Two of our most magical writers, William Shakespeare and Mark Twain had their say about dying and death. Shakespeare wrote, “There is no talk of a life after death...The rest is silence.” Prospero in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest says, “We are such stuff as dreams are made of, and our little life is rounded with a sleep. An eternity before our life, an eternity after... We are just a bubble, a dream in infinity.”
How did Mark Twain put it? “I was dead for millions of years before I was born and it never inconvenienced me a bit.”
When the Swiss study was broken down by age, the increase of deaths on birthdays was observed only by those people age 60 or older. Common causes of birthday deaths were said to include heart attacks, strokes in women, and suicides and accidents in men. Cancer also was a cause.
The data carry more than a little interest. But, because birthdays come regularly, there’s nothing much we can do about them.
Personally, I have devised a system a few years ago whereby I like to subtract, rather than add, a year each time I have a birthday. Not – so far at least – has this stopped the progression of years. My family insists that I truly am increasing my age with each year’s birthday. They, along with nature are not being particularly cooperative. And deep in my head I realize I’ll never be 26 again, or even 76. But it’s a game worth playing.
As for the Swiss study, it was carried out by researchers at universities and hospitals and published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
One theory about the “birthday blues” was that more people are likely to die on “event” days. Apparently the sheer excitement of the occasion for those excessively excited by birthdays had something to do with their demise. Others could be depressed to death.
Swiss researchers analyzed mortality records from 1969 to 2008. The birthday and death day of each of more than 2 million people was mapped on a year circle (minus 180 days to plus 180 days) that showed how far the two events deviated. This showed more detailed patterns than simply whether someone was likely to die on their birthday. For instance, it was able to tell whether people were more likely to die soon after a birthday, which might have suggested some residual effect.
The increased risk in men — 14 percent was similar to women — 13.6 percent. After the results were examined by age, the higher rate of deaths on birthdays occurred only in men and women who were age 60 or older.
The researchers also tried to find out what caused the deaths beyond any expected “normal” rate. A birthday excess was found for deaths due to cardiovascular disease and cancer. In women, a birthday excess also was found in strokes. In men, violent deaths, including suicides, accidents, and falls were a factor.
Vascular events may occur more frequently on birthdays because of stress. Suicides and accidents, they surmised, might be due to psychological issues (I’m too old to still be alive) or too much celebratory boozing. But these were said to be only theories, not supported by any data.
Tait Trussell is an old guy and fourth-generation professional journalist who writes extensively about aging issues among a myriad of diverse topics.