Celebrities tend to die earlier than the average person, study says
New research from Australia shows that the price of fame may be a shorter lifespan.
Celebrities tend to die earlier than the rest of us, according to a new study.
Australian researchers found that star athletes and artists who enjoy fame in their lifetime die at a younger age than those who live anonymously.
Researchers found that accidents and cancer were the most likely culprits of their deaths.
The study looked at 1000 New York Times obituaries from 2009 to 2011.
Those who gained some kind of fame died at 77.2 years of age on average.
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This is compared to the average lifespan in the US of 78.5 years for creative-types, 81.7 for professionals and 83 for business leaders and politicians.
It is not clear why this is the case exactly but it could be excessive risk-taking or stress.
"Fame and achievement in performance-related careers may be earned at the cost of a shorter life expectancy," the researchers wrote.
"In such careers, smoking and other risk behaviors may be either causes of effects of success and/or early death.
The research was published in QJM: An International Journal of Medicine.
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