Over 60s are 14% more likely to die on their birthday, finds research

Turning one year older is deadlier than you think

The pairing of cakes and candles has been part of humanity's story since ancient Greece (Getty)

Researchers who studied more than two million people over 40 years of age have revealed that we are most likely to die on our birthdays than any other day of the year.

Published in the peer-reviewed medical journal, Annals of Epidemiology, the study found that an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, falls and suicides make birthdays one of the deadliest days of the year.

Carried out by the University of Zurich, the study discovered that over-60s are 14 per cent more likely to die on the big day, with a shocking 44 per cent rise in fall deaths.

“Birthdays end lethally more frequently than might be expected,” said Dr Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross.

Interestingly, the sinister findings have also been backed up by Canadian research into birthday deaths too.

It found that stroke risks are higher than average on birthdays, particularly among people with high blood pressure.

“It seems to be a valid finding,” Professor Richard Wiseman, from the University of Herfordshire, told the Telegraph.

”There are two camps - one is the camp that suggests you eat too much and you're getting on a bit and that causes you to die.

“The other is a placebo effect. You are knife-edged on death. And you kept yourself going until your birthday. You think 'that's it I've had enough I'm out of here'.”

But it’s not just birthdays that you need to be wary of.

Another study conducted by the Unviersity of California found that five per cent more people die from natural causes on New Year's Day, while others also point to an increased risk of accidents over the festive period - with Christmas day being another perilous date.