What are the causes of death and death rates among anesthesiologists compared to the general male population?
Anesthesiologists showed distinct mortality patterns compared to the general male population, including higher rates of suicide and specific malignancies, but lower rates of lung cancer and coronary artery disease.
During the years 1947–1966, there were 441 deaths among junior, active and retired members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists living in the United States or Canada. A cause of death was found for each member and death rates calculated for this group. Comparisons of these rates with those for U. S. males and with male policyholders of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company were made. Anesthesiologists appear to have a low incidence of lung cancer, a somewhat lower than average incidence of coronary artery disease in recent years, and a high death rate from suicide and malignancies of the lymphoid and reticuloendothelial tissues. These data only suggest trends and point to the need for a prospective study of this subject.
Bruce et al. (Wed,) studied this question.