Cause-specific mortality among physicians with differing life-styles

Article Abstract:

While some studies of mortality among physicians have found better overall life expectancy than the general population, others have reported poorer mortality for physicians than for other occupational groups (e.g. teachers and clergymen). To learn more about the contribution of life style to physician death rates, a survey was conducted of male graduates of two medical schools for the years 1910 through 1975. The schools were Loma Linda University (LLU; 4,342 men) in California, where most students are Seventh-day Adventists, and the University of Southern California (USC; 2,832 men), where few students are Adventists. Professional data and information concerning deaths were gathered from records of the American Medical Association, and a randomly selected sample of living graduates (450 men) was interviewed by telephone concerning life style and habits. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), which compare the death rates for the physicians with rates for comparable groups of white males in the general population, were calculated: an SMR equal to 100 indicates a mortality risk for doctors that is equal to that of the general population. Results showed that SMRs for deaths from all causes for physicians were substantially lower than for the general population: USC and LLU graduates had SMRs of 76 and 56, respectively. However, mortality due to coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease among LLU graduates was 58 percent and 66 percent, respectively, of that among USC graduates. LLU graduates were more prone to fatal accidents than were USC graduates, a large proportion of which, strangely, were aircraft accidents in private, noncommercial planes. Physicians in both groups had higher rates of suicide than the general population, although rates for LLU graduates were lower than for USC graduates. Both groups were at lower risk of death from cancer than the general population, and cancer-related SMRs for the groups were comparable. A discussion is presented of possible reasons for the reduced mortality of LLU graduates compared with USC graduates. It is likely that the Seventh-day Adventist life style, which discourages smoking and drinking, played a major role. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Health aspects, Life style, Lifestyles

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Years of potential life lost before age 65 - United States, 1987

Article Abstract:

The number of years of potential life lost (YPLL) is an index of premature death, defined as death before the age of 65. The YPLL is used to compare changes in the medical environment, which is influenced by social factors, health policy, and change in relative importance of diseases (e.g., AIDS). A comparison of YPLL for the years 1986 and 1987 shows a decrease from 5016 deaths per 100,000 U.S. residents in 1986 to 4949 per 100,000 in 1987. This change represents a 1.3 percent decline, which would have been 2.2 percent were it not for the negative statistical impact of AIDS. The YPLL index for AIDS increased 45 percent during the one year period, moving the disease from the eighth to the seventh leading cause of premature loss of life. The largest decline in a major category was the 16 percent posted by sudden infant death syndrome. Analysis by area showed that southern states have a significantly higher YPLL, in part because of the higher number of Afro- Americans, who have lower life expectancy than white Americans. The District of Columbia had the highest YPLL of all regions considered.

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Mortality and causes of death in medical men

Article Abstract:

The long and irregular hours of physicians can bring about health problems that lead to premature death. A study of the mortuary records of 450 physicians showed the average age of death to be 54.6 years and a mortality of 25.53, which is considerably higher than for lawyers. Physicians commit suicide four times as often as other adult men, by poison, gun wounds to the head and drug overdose. Typhoid fever and pneumonia rank high as causes of death. Arterial sclerosis which may be traced to a lack of sleep and exercise, and poor nutrition, is another leading cause of death among physicians. Physicians do not practice their own advice to patients. They should eat more sensibly, get rest, exercise and avoid worry.

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