[A study of mortality among male physicians in Chiba prefecture]

In order to assess mortality patterns of Japanese physicians, the mortality during a 12 year period (July 1978-June 1990) among male members of the Chiba Medical Association was studied. The overall mortality among physicians was significantly lower than the general male population in Chiba prefecture (standardized mortality ratio [SMR] = 0.69). Physicians were found to have lower cause-specific mortality from cancer (SMR = 0.71), cerebrovascular disease (SMR = 0.42), pneumonia and bronchitis (SMR = 0.63), accidents (SMR = 0.37), and suicide (SMR = 0.29) than the general population, but to have higher mortality from senility (SMR = 1.75). When compared to the total working population and the professional and technical workers, all-cause mortality for physicians did not differ. Mortality from ischemic heart disease was significantly higher during 1979-1983, but was similar during 1984-1988. Analysis by specialty showed that during 1979-1983 internal medicine physicians had a lower mortality than surgeons, but this reversed during 1984-1988 with the former having a higher mortality than the latter. Over the whole period, no difference in mortality existed between internists and surgeons. A cohort of 2,502 male members that is being followed, showed that the mortality of physicians was lower than the general population. However, no significant difference between the internists and surgeons was observed in both overall and major cause-specific mortality.