Posted on 06/13/2012 5:02:26 PM PDT by DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis
Researchers who studied more than two million people over 40 years found a rise in deaths from heart attacks, strokes, falls and suicides.
William Shakespeare died on his birthday on April 23 1616. The actress Ingrid Bergman also died on her birthday, in August 1982.
On average, people over the age of 60 were 14 per cent more likely to die on their birthdays.
Heart attacks rose 18.6 per cent on birthdays and were higher for men and women while strokes were up 21.5 per cent - mostly in women.
Dr Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross of the University of Zurich, said: 'Birthdays end lethally more frequently than might be expected.' He added that risk of birthday death rose as people got older.
Canadian data also showed that strokes were more likely on birthdays, especially among patients with high blood pressure.
There was a 34.9 per cent rise in suicides, 28.5 per cent rise in accidental deaths not related to cars, and a 44 per cent rise in deaths from falls on birthdays.
Psychologist prof Richard Wiseman, from the University of Hertfordshire, said: "It seems to be a valid finding.
"There are two camps - one is the camp that suggests you eat too much and your getting on a bit and that causes you to die.
"The other is a placebo effect. You are knife-edged on death. And you kept yourself going until your birthday. You think 'that's it I've had enough I'm out of here'."
Dr Lewis Halsey, of the University of Roehampton, said: 'One interesting finding is that more suicides happen on birthdays, though only in men.
'Perhaps men are more likely to make a statement about their unhappiness when they think people will be taking more notice of them.'
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
My Mother died on her birthday.
50% of people die within three months of their birthday.
yeah, lol...good point
how old was she?
I just turned 36.(On the 7th)
I’m glad I’m reading this after the fact.
>>50% of people die within three months of their birthday.<<
100% of people die within 6 months of their birthday.
So sorry to hear that! My Mom didn’t die on her birthday, but her final birthday was on September 11, 2001.
Just great.....my 50th birthday is coming up this friday and you had to post this??? sigh.
Lol....
Oh noes then I may only have 3 days left!
So sorry, Freestate316.
There is a 1/365.25 chance of it happening.
Well, you still have a day and a half to write a will and say goodbye to everybody.
Perhaps loud surprise! parties aren’t the best plan for older celebrants.
100% die within 6 months of their birthday.
My mother died on the morning of Jesus’s birthday in 1992. Wasn’t a very happy Christmas that year.
Well, I better wish you Happy Birthday now.
I am 64 years old, so a lot of my older relatives and acquaintances have already died. I can’t remember any of them dying on their birthdays. A few died within a few months of their birthdays, but not that many. Even when they announce the deaths of celebrities, it’s not on their birthdays. I have heard of people dying on the anniversaries of the birthdays or deaths of close relatives. I think I heard that Elvis died on the anniversary or within a couple of days of the anniversary of this mother’s death, to whom he was very close. My Dad died on the anniversary of his dad’s death, which had happened about 40 years earlier.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.