LONDON鈥擫eading a country comes with extraordinary privileges but also, apparently, a price.
New research suggests that heads of state age faster than normal and that the stress of the job may shave almost three years off their life expectancy.
Doctors analyzed how long presidents and prime ministers in 17 countries鈥攊ncluding Britain, Canada, France, Germany and the United States鈥攕urvived after leaving office, compared to the losing candidates.
They also observed the number of years that heads of state lived versus what was expected for someone of the same age and gender.
After considering the fates of 279 heads of state and 261 runner-ups, they concluded former leaders lived for almost three fewer years than expected.
The study was published online on Monday in the medical journal, The BMJ.
鈥淭o lose a few years is significant,鈥� said Dr. Anupam Jena of Harvard Medical School, the study鈥檚 senior author.
鈥�(Leaders) probably felt national priorities were much more pressing than eating right and exercising,鈥� he said, saying former US President Bill Clinton鈥檚 admitted weakness for fast food may have resulted in 鈥渟tress eating.鈥�
鈥淢aybe if there had been world peace, his lifestyle would have been different,鈥� Jena said.
After leaving office, Clinton had bypass surgery; he subsequently said he lost weight and became vegan to try to reverse his heart disease.
Top 1 % of population
鈥淭he stress (of leading a country) could accelerate the graying of hair and wrinkling of skin, but that doesn鈥檛 mean they鈥檒l die earlier,鈥� said S. Jay Olshansky, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Olshansky鈥檚 research on former commanders in chief found they had a longer-than-expected life expectancy, partly because they are part of the top 1 percent of the population that are highly educated, wealthy and have better access to healthcare than most.
Still, even US President Barack Obama recently joked with Canada鈥檚 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥攚ho is about a decade younger than Obama鈥攁bout how a country鈥檚 top office can speed up aging.
Obama鈥檚 advice
Obama advised Trudeau that he should start dying his hair to avoid going gray.
Jena said Trudeau鈥攚ho is a keen outdoorsman鈥攎ight fare better than expected.
鈥淪omeone like him, who is fit, may be in a better starting position than others,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he years could be kinder to him.鈥� AP