Why Are So Many Men Dying at Age 62?
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is Your Money Matters from The Wall Street Journal. Welcome to Your Money Matters. I'm J.R. Whalen in New York. Some troubling news for Americans approaching retirement age. You should add questions about your mortality to the list of things you shore up as you enter post-work life.
What new study found an unusual spike in U.S. deaths at age 62?
A new study has identified a significant increase in mortality starting at age 62. And Wall Street Journal news editor Demetria Gallegos joins us with details. So, Demetria, this is rather daunting. Workers have completed decades of work and family life, and now they're faced with death.
Yes, it is a striking juxtaposition that you wouldn't necessarily anticipate in that transition. I spoke to a researcher at Cornell University who worked with one at the University of Melbourne to analyze U.S. mortality data, and they discovered that in addition to the rising rate of mortality as everyone gets older, there is a real jump that couldn't be explained by any other criteria right around age 62. And that jump basically added up to, over the 34 years they studied, it added up to between 13,000 and 27,000 excess deaths. These are male deaths within 12 months of turning 62. So that's something like two out of every 100 men are suddenly dead. And it has to do with the age and the things that are happening right around that age.
And I suppose that they expect death to occur during this time, but they were really taken by the number of deaths that they were seeing.
What we learned in studying this research is that about one-third of Americans take Social Security early at age 62, and about 10% of men retire from the workforce. The researchers believe that the 2% rate is more like a 20% rate, and that is very much focused on the men who take this early retirement. That risk is much higher than the numbers would otherwise have indicated.
How many excess deaths did researchers attribute to the age-62 spike?
So what are people dying of at this age?
At this age, so many things are in flux. Your leisure time quotient changes. Your health care may change. Your finances may change. What you are doing with your free time may change. You may be driving more, so you may be more likely to die in a car accident. You may start smoking more, which would lead to COPD or lung cancer deaths, which is a typical condition.
Why are men disproportionately dying within 12 months of turning 62?
cause of death, then you may simply be stressed. And one of the most important factors to remember is that people who choose to retire at age 62 may have been in compromised health to start with, or they may have had manual labor jobs. And so therefore, their health is at a greater risk at that point anyway.
Retirement can be great, but this study really shows and focused on the detrimental short-term effects of retirement.
Yes. The researchers were aware of other literature that indicates that long-term benefits of retirement may be very positive because of psychological reasons. As people are retiring and their disposition changes, their happiness quotient is higher, and so their lifespan can be extended. There are also indicators that retirement could be more difficult for individuals who find that they're no longer as engaged with the world or are more likely to become depressed. What these researchers did was focus on the short-term negative correlations between retirement and mortality.
We're speaking with news editor Demetria Gallegos, and you're listening to Your Money Matters from The Wall Street Journal. Welcome back, everybody. So, Demetria, the study's co-author says this data shows Americans should be much more in tune with their health as they approach retirement.
What lifestyle and health changes at retirement might increase mortality risk?
The recommendations are that if you are 62 and you're considering retiring early and your health is poor to start with, you might want to be taking some prevented measures. You might want to try to stay healthy, see a physician. You know, don't sit on the couch, but then don't overdo it either. You know, just be careful about driving. Be careful about indulging too much. It is just a really tricky and treacherous time.
And you asked the study's co-author if the mortality data suggests that Social Security eligibility should be pushed later.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:02–0:22
2
What new study found an unusual spike in U.S. deaths at age 62?
0:22–1:58
3
How many excess deaths did researchers attribute to the age-62 spike?
1:58–2:21
4
Why are men disproportionately dying within 12 months of turning 62?
2:21–3:34
5
What lifestyle and health changes at retirement might increase mortality risk?
3:34–4:21
6
Could retiring early or claiming Social Security at 62 affect survival rates?
4:21–4:50
7
What practical steps do researchers recommend for people approaching age 62?
4:50–4:56
Speakers
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