by Jennifer Cox Longevity The main reason that birth month and longevity have been linked is because of seasonal factors – if weather and other social factors come into play in certain seasons, this could impact how long a person may live. This is backed by a study that was published on the website for PNAS, one of the world’s most-cited and comprehensive multidisciplinary scientific journals. It stated that month of birth influences adult life expectancy at ages 50+, based on the fact that in two countries of the Northern Hemisphere – Austria and Denmark – people born in autumn (October-December) lived longer than those born in spring (April-June). Data for Australia showed that in the Southern Hemisphere, the pattern was shifted by half a year.These findings were based on population data with more than a million observations and little or no selectivity. Coincidence? A study by the Journal of Aging Research and scientists at the university’s hospital in northeastern Germany also saw a connection between longevity (or living to be 100 or older) and the month in which people were born (positivemed.com). This study found that women born in November lived for an average 7.3 months longer than those born in May, while men lived for 11.7 months longer. Therefore, those born between September and early December have a higher likelihood of making it to the century mark, while those born in spring months have decreased chances of making it to 100 years. Finally, several years ago, a study by the University of Chicago used data collected about the 1,574 confirmed American centenarians who were born between 1880 and 1895, and the numbers were compared to their 10,855 siblings, who lived shorter lives – this was a way to eliminate possible environmental or genetic factors (www.medicaldaily.com). The researchers discovered that the month in which you were born either increased or decreased the odds that you would live past 100 – if you were born in September, October or November, you had a higher chance of passing 100 years old, and if you were born in March, April, May, June or July, chances are that you wouldn’t be blowing out candles on your 100th birthday. What does this mean for you? Well, perhaps longevity is linked to things about which we spoke in previous columns, such as green tea, superfoods and sleep, all of which are factors that we can control. But perhaps there’s something to be said, too, about pure chance… that genetic predispositions and even things such as birth month can have an impact on how long we live. So order that dessert, but have it with a cup of green tea…after all, life is about balance. BIRTH MONTH AND LONGEVITY is there a link? Does the month in which you were born have an impact on your lifespan? Some studies say yes! CSANews | WINTER 2016 | 53
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