Sniggering? That’s exactly what we did when we came across the news. But FYI, the research was carried out by scientists at Columbia University and the results are published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. So, no kidding here!
Here’s your health horoscope:
May- and July-born folks, now, you have got reasons to celebrate your B-days in an even grander way!
Around 2500 years ago, Hippocrates hinted at a nexus between seasonality and disease:
Though most scientists call such health horoscope forecasts bunkum, subject-matter experts at Columbia University compared birth dates and medical records of 1.7 million individuals with records at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Centre born between 1900 and 2000 inclusive.
The researchers studied the associations between birth month and 1688 types of diseases. Out of these, they found 55 diseases to be distinguishably dependent on birth month. Availability of large clinical databases along with advances in health informatics facilitate systematic investigation of birth month-disease dependencies.
What they conclude is this: “Lifetime disease risk is affected by birth month. Seasonally dependent early developmental mechanisms may play a role in increasing lifetime risk of disease.”
But fret not! The study authors are yet to explore other associations between birth month and particular health conditions. Until then celebrate your birthday no matter in whichever month it falls.
