[thedoc (OP)]

Daria Korochkina asked the Naked Scientists:
   
I have heard that the dying risk rises dramatically on your birthday, if it is really so, why? Are you supposed to be more anxious in such a day and thus your body is prone to fail you?
   
What do you think?

[CliffordK]

There have been a number of Famous people who have died on their birthday, but that appears to be quite a short list compared to all the famous people in the world, and most of the people on that list don't even look like they are that well known.

Perhaps there are a few elderly people that make goals...  "I just want to live till I'm 80, or 90, or 100"...  and then once the goal is reached, it's all over.  And those that actually die within a week or so of their birthday are remembered.

Anyway, the chances of dying on one's birthday should be 1:365, or the same as dying on any other day.  There is a slight increase of risk of dying in the winter, so if one's birthday lies in January...  it may increase the odds of dying on one's birthday.

Anyway, unless I see statistics otherwise, I'll consider dying on one's birthday as being a reporting bias.

[RD]

"I just want to live till I'm 80, or 90, or 100"...  and then once the goal is reached, it's all over.

Maybe it's the bumps []

[Kryptid]

If you use your birthday as an occasion to go out, get drunk, then drive home whilst drunk, I would say yes.