Risk of dying 14% higher on birthdays?

London: We are 14% more likely to die on our birthday, according to new research based on a study of more than two million people. The authors of the study blame what they have called anniversary reaction hypothesis, or birthday blues, with stress playing a significant part.      Causes of birthday deaths included heart attacks, stroke, cancer, falls and suicide. "We concluded that birthdays end lethally more frequently than might be expected," the Independent quoted Dr Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross, who led the Swiss study, as saying.      The researchers analysed 2.4 million deaths over a 40-year period. Results show there were 13.8% more deaths on birthdays than might be expected compared with any other day of the year. The risk increased with age, with the figure rising to 18% among the over 60s. Results for individual diseases show that there was an 18.6% increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks, and a higher risk of up to 21.5% for strokes.      There was also a 10.8% rise in deaths among people with cancer. Among men, there was a 34.9% rise in suicides, and a 28.5% increase in accidental deaths. There was also a 44% rise in fatal falls on birthdays. ANI