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MELBOURNE, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Elite stand-up comedians are more likely to die prematurely, compared to other entertainment colleagues, according to a Melbourne-based study.
Published in the International Journal of Cardiology, the cohort study of almost 500 people confirmed the lifespan of stand-up comics appeared to be up to three years shorter than dramatic actors, and almost two years less than film comedians.
The study stated that those stand-up comics who were highly rated by the public were even more likely to die at a younger age.
The research included 200 stand-up comedians (13 percent women), 114 comedy actors (17.5 percent women), and 184 dramatic actors (29.3 percent women).
The study's lead author, Professor Simon Stewart, a world-leading cardiac researcher at the Melbourne-based Australian Catholic University (ACU), said the data reaffirmed an "adverse relationship" between comedic ability and longevity.
The results suggest the stress of their often low-paying and competitive jobs could be a contributing factor to the comedians' premature deaths.
"There is a significant gradient in the age of death, with stand-up comedians dying at a younger age (67.1 years) than their comedy actor (68.9) and dramatic actor (70.7) counterparts," Stewart said in an ACU media release on Thursday.
"Overall, the results point to a need for awareness of health and wellbeing concerns in the entertainment industry, and in elite comedians in particular."
"It appears that for stand-up comedians, being at the very top may be no laughing matter."
Once the data was adjusted by birth date and life expectancy, standup comedians were found to be more likely to die at a younger age than dramatic actors, although there was no difference with comedic actors.
Of the 36 stand-up comedians who had died, nearly 39 percent had passed away prematurely, compared to almost 20 percent of the 56 dramatic actors who had died.
The data also suggested that stand-up comedians are more likely to die from non-natural causes, such as suicide or accidents.
However, more than 80 percent of the deaths recorded for stand-up comedians were from natural causes.
The report follows the deaths of a number of high-profile international comedians including Robin Williams, Rik Mayall and Victoria Wood.
