There are certain health conditions that tend to be seasonal – for instance, the summer brings the high pollen count that triggers the dreaded hayfever that wreaks havoc with our sinuses! However, it seems our birth month could also play a role in our health!
We know, we know – it sounds crazy, but this is the claim being made by scientists in Spain this week.
A team of researchers from the University of Alicante carried out a study comparing the prevalence of certain conditions with the months of the year.
In all, they explored around 27 chronic diseases and how they affected men and women at different times of the year. Around 30,000 people were involved in the interesting study.
The results were nothing short of fascinating – they found that, in the case of certain conditions, the month of your birth can actually have a ‘significant impact’ on your long-term health.
They presented their findings through a number of different examples for each month. Take the month of June, for instance – the researchers found that men who were born in the sixth month of the year were 34 per cent less likely to suffer from depression, and 22 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with back pain.
Jump ahead to July; researchers found that women born in this month were 27 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure in comparison to any other time of the year.
Asthma is one of the most widespread conditions affecting people in this country, so it’s interesting that researchers were able to pinpoint a particular time when men were most affected. Yes, males born in August apparently face double the risk of contracting asthma; this, in comparison to those born in the spring.
Meanwhile, men born in September are three times more likely to endure thyroid problems than their counterparts born in January. For females, the rate of risk of contracting a chronic illness in general was, however, reduced.
This all sounds a little bizarre, doesn’t it? Well, it has come in for some criticism from experts in the field!
Indeed, after reading the study in Medicina Clinica, Dr Robert Cuffe told The Independent: “Astrology has never made for great science.
“If you look at 12 months for each of 27 conditions and two gender (628 possible links), you’re guaranteed to see chance patterns that appear amazing.”
Well, that’s us told, then! Still, it could be interesting to see if any of these bear truth in our own lives.
