When are you going to die? Here’s five ways to work it out

If you’ve ever wondered exactly when the tall bony chap with the scythe is going to show up and say, ‘Your time is up,’ it might be simpler than you think.

The most reliable indicators tend to be simple ones, such as how people answer the question, ‘Are you well?’

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How far – and fast – you can run on a treadmill also offers a chillingly accurate prediction of how likely you are to die within the next decade.

For a quick assessment, there’s several different ‘death clock’ tests you can do – and oddly, one of them doesn’t involve questions about boozing or eating.

Ubble

The test at Ubble.co.uk has been checked on 35,000 people – and found to be 80% accurate, using questions such as, ‘How would you describe your walking pace?’ and ‘How many people live in your home?’

Based on answers from 500,000 British volunteers in the UK Biobank study, the Ubble test tracked volunteers over five years to work out the best predictors of survival.

Lifestyle ‘death clocks’

Death clocks have been popular on the internet ever since the World Wide Web launched – and there’s still plenty around.

Mostly based on published statistics on the effects of obesity, heavy drinking and exercise on mortality, clocks such as Fateful Day and Death Timer will give you a countdown to your demise.

These should be taken with a pinch of salt, though, as they’re not endorsed by medical authorities – although the health advice to cut down on booze and quit smoking is sound.

How far can you run on a treadmill?

One of the most accurate ways to assess how likely someone is to die within the next decade is to look at their performance on a treadmill, researchers have said.

A team of researchers analysed results of 58,000 fitness tests in Detroit, Michigan – then tracked how many of the testers died within the next decade.

John Hopkins University found that gauging people’s heart rate and fitness on a treadmill can work out their risk of death – more accurately than looking at risk factors such as a family history of premature death.

For example, a 45-year-old woman with a very low fitness score has a 38% risk of dying over the next decade, whereas a 45-year-old woman with a top fitness score has a 2% risk.
Is your resting heart rate over 80?

If you wear a fitness wristband such as a Fitbit or Jawbone, you’ll probably know your resting heart rate.

But it’s bad news for you if it’s over 80.

People who have a ‘resting heart rate’ of 80 beats per minute are 45% more likely to die in the next 20 years compared to those with resting heart rate of 45bpm, according to Medical College of Qingdao University.

Researchers at the Medical College of Qingdao University used data from 46 previous studies involving 1.2 million people.

Dr Dongfeng Zhang said, ‘There is no doubt that elevated resting heart rate serves as a marker of poor health status.

‘Our results highlight that people should pay more attention to their resting heart rate for their health, and also indicate the potential importance of physical activity to lower resting heart rate.

Do you have a weak handshake?

People who have weak handshakes don’t just make bad first impressions – they’re at risk of dying young.

A large study found that weak grip strength is associated with higher risk of heart attack and stroke – due, possibly, to it being an indicator of overall fitness.

The statistics stand up even when adjusted for other factors such as smoking – with each 5kg reduction in grip strength being linked to a 9% increase in risk of stroke, and a 7% increase in risk of heart attack.

The researchers, from McMaster University in Canada analysed data on 139,691 adults aged 35-70, using a handgrip dynamometer tomeasure grip strength.