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Lifespan and longevity among representatives of creative professions

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Abstract

This article presents data on the average age of death (AAD) of 49064 representatives of different creative professions: visual artists (painters, sculptors, and architects, n = 8458), musicians (composers, conductors, singers, pianists, violinists, organists, etc., n = 7883), literary people (poets and writers, n = 11 488), and academics (n = 21 235). The AAD of literary people was significantly (p < 0.001) less than the age of death of artists, musicians, and scientists, while scientists lived longer than the other categories (p < 0.001). Females of any of the investigated professions lived significantly longer than males (p < 0.02). Analysis of the dynamics of the AAD from the 1st century before the Christian Era until the end of the 20th century showed that the AAD of representatives of various professions gradually but unevenly increased. Artists and males born after 1900 lived significantly longer (p < 0.001) than in previous historical periods. The AAD of scientists of both sexes who were born after 1900 was significantly higher (p < 0.002) in comparison with scientists who lived in the 19th century (p < 0.001). The first five places for life span among males are occupied by Nobel laureates (78.8 years), academics (72.7 years), corresponding members of the RAS (71.7 years), conductors (71.1 years), and scientists (71.0 years). Rock musicians have shorter lives than other people, 43.6 years, bards lived 53.6 years, and poets, 61.6 years. Among females, the first five places for AAD are occupied by conductors (83.2 years), harpists (80.9 years), RAS academics (80.3 years), harpsichordists (79.1 years) and violinists (78.2 years). Females who devote themselves to rock music (37.6 years), to author’s songs (51.4 years), and to playing wind instruments (59.0 years) had shorter lives than other females. Females are far ahead of males in the relative number of oldest old persons (90+ years). The first five places are occupied by harpists (43.75%), conductors (33.33%), architects (29.17%), violinists and cellists (20%), and sculptors (18.99%). The top five positions among oldest old persons for males involve Nobel laureates (16.67%), conductors (12.12%), members of the RAS (7.51%), violinists (7.44%), and scientists (7.0%). The centenary line was crossed by 8.33% of the female academics and architects, 6.25% of the harpists, and 4.22% of the poets who wrote prose. Among men, the proportion of centenarians was smaller: pianists, 0.76%; scientists, 0.45%; and violinists, 0.42%. These data confirm the view that high intelligence and education directly correlate with long life span and longevity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Petrov Research Institute of Oncology, ul. Leningradskaya 68, pos. Pesochny, St. Petersburg, 197758, Russia

    V. N. Anisimov

  2. Russian Research Center for Radiology and Surgical Technologies, ul. Leningradskaya 70, pos. Pesochny, St. Petersburg, 197758, Russia

    G. M. Zharinov

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  1. V. N. Anisimov
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Correspondence to V. N. Anisimov.

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Original Russian Text © V.N. Anisimov, G.M. Zharinov, 2013, published in Uspekhi Gerontologii, 2013, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 405–416.

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Anisimov, V.N., Zharinov, G.M. Lifespan and longevity among representatives of creative professions. Adv Gerontol 4, 83–94 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079057014020027

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