Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Unpredictable income can be deadly, and that reality is all too common in today’s so-called gig economy.  A collaborative study from the Universities of Miami, Minnesota, California at San Francisco, Northwestern, and Massachusetts of nearly 400 persons 23 to 35 years of age was launched in 1990, and the subjects were monitored for 25 years.   Those relatively young persons without steady jobs and ping pong incomes were twice as likely as consistently employed persons to develop cardiovascular disease including heart attack and stroke and were twice as likely to die.  This conclusion underscores just how stressful personal economic turmoil can be.   If you are subject to income fluctuations due to participation in the gig economy, take precautions to avoid tragedy.  Live a healthy lifestyle with sensible eating, abundant exercise, avoidance of smoking and excessive drinking, and stable relationships for stress reduction.  Be on the lookout for trouble by having regular check-ups and surveillance of your healt