Examples of early mortality follow-up studies

Area of Science:

• Actuarial science
• Medical history
• Public health

Background:

• Life insurance industry publications contain extensive mortality data spanning approximately 100 years.
• Early studies examined mortality risks associated with conditions such as asthma, overweight, and hypertension.
• The impact of underwriting selection on mortality was acknowledged early in insurance practices.

Observation:

• Standard insurance mortality tables in North America differentiate between select and ultimate mortality rates.
• The mortality ratio is a traditional metric for assessing excess mortality in insurance follow-up studies.
• Locating similar comprehensive mortality studies in the medical literature before 1920 is challenging.

Findings:

• A notable exception is a 1908 report detailing a 20-year follow-up of pulmonary tuberculosis patients.
• This study provided valuable comparative mortality and survival results with robust methodology.
• The historical data highlights the long-standing use of mortality analysis in risk assessment.

Implications:

• Understanding historical mortality trends informs current public health and actuarial practices.
• The early integration of medical history in insurance underwriting influenced mortality data collection.
• Archived mortality data offers a rich resource for epidemiological research and longevity studies.