Sabkush Headlines: People who get bored easily, die early

Sabkush Headlines: People who get bored easily, die early

People who get bored easily, die early

Can you really be bored to death? In a commentary to be published in the International Journal of Epidemiology in April, experts say theres a possibility that the more bored you are, the more likely you are to die early. Annie Britton and Martin Shipley of University College London caution that boredom alone isnt likely to kill you, but it could be a symptom of other risky behaviour like drinking, smoking, taking drugs or having a psychological problem. The researchers analyzed questionnaires completed between 1985 and 1988 by more than 7,500 London civil servants ages 35 to 55. The civil servants were asked if they had felt bored at work during the previous month. Britton and Shipley then tracked down how many of the participants had died by April 2009. Those who reported they had been very bored were two and a half times more likely to die of a heart problem than those who hadnt reported being bored. But when the authors made a statistical adjustment for other potential risk factors, like physical activity levels and employment grade, the effect was reduced. Other experts said while the research was preliminary, the link between boredom and increased heart problems was possible, if not direct. ``Someone who is bored may not be motivated to eat well, exercise, and have a heart-healthy lifestyle. That may make them more likely to have a cardiovascular event, said Dr. Christopher Cannon, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard University and spokesman for the American College of Cardiology.