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A healthy economy can break your heart

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Demography

Abstract

Panel data methods are used to investigate how deaths from coronary heart disease (CHD) in the United States vary with macroeconomic conditions. A one-percentage-point reduction in unemployment is predicted to raise CHD mortality by 0.75%, corresponding to almost 3,900 additional fatalities. The increase in relative risk is similar across age groups, implying that senior citizens account for most of the extra deaths. Direct evidence is obtained of a role for decreases in medical interventions treating coronary problems. CHD mortality increases rapidly when the economy strengthens but returns to or near its baseline level within five years for most groups.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 444 Bryan School, P.O. Box 26165, 27402-6165, Greensboro, NC

    Christopher J. Ruhm

  2. National Bureau of Economic Research, USA

    Christopher J. Ruhm

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  1. Christopher J. Ruhm
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Correspondence to Christopher J. Ruhm.

Additional information

I thank Dana Goldman and Loren Baker for helpful suggestions. Financial support was received from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA12309) and the National Science Foundation (SES-9876511). The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agencies.

I thank Dana Goldman and Loren Baker for helpful suggestions. Financial support was received from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA12309) and the National Science Foundation (SES-9876511). The opinions, fi ndings, and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily refl ect the views of the funding agencies.

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Ruhm, C.J. A healthy economy can break your heart. Demography 44, 829–848 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03208384

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