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Don’t let the stock market kill you: new study warns of health risks

Even strong days for stocks can be problematic, suggesting there is such a thing as too much excitement

Volatile trading days can have an adverse effect on health, a new study has found. Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty
Volatile trading days can have an adverse effect on health, a new study has found. Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty
Proinsias O'Mahony
Tue Aug 13 2024 - 05:00

Has the recent volatility stressed you out? You’re not alone – a new study says market volatility is linked to heart attacks, strokes and suicide.

The study, which analysed 12 million deaths in China between 2013 and 2019, found an increase in deaths from heart attacks and suicide on days of significant market swings. Even strong days for stocks can be problematic for health, suggesting there is such a thing as too much excitement.

So can days characterised by intraday volatility; stocks may end the day near where they started, but the intraday stress can take a toll.

Behavioural finance experts such as Nobel economist Richard Thaler have long argued investors shouldn’t check their portfolios too often. That’s good advice – for your health as well as your wealth.

Proinsias O'Mahony

Proinsias O'Mahony

Proinsias O’Mahony, a contributor to The Irish Times, writes the weekly Stocktake column