Death Rates of Elite and Professional American Athletes During Early Adulthood are Lower than the General Population

John W. Orchard, Kimberly G. Harmon, Nicholas D. Orchard, Cindy J. Chang, Danica Sardelich, Jessica J. Orchard, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Department of Family Medicine and Center for Sports Cardiology, University of Washington, Sydney Grammar School, Department of Orthopedics, University of California, San Francisco, Sports Clinic, University of Sydney

American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine

Published online on January 27, 2026

Abstract

American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, Ahead of Print.
This study aimed to assess rates of death of elite and professional young adult athletes in different US sports, comparing to the general population. Male and female athletes’ birth and death dates were analyzed to compare rates of death from ages 21–40 ...