1.7 Million Americans Retire Each Year, Bringing Health Gains and Disease Risks
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Oct 17
1.7 Million Americans Retire Each Year, Bringing Health Gains and Disease Risks
3 articles · Updated · The Independent · Oct 17
Summary
Some 1.7 million Americans retire each year, and experts say the health impact depends less on retirement itself than on how people live before and after leaving work.
A 2016 University of Sydney study linked retirement to better sleep, diet and exercise, while researchers and clinicians said extra time can also strengthen family, community and other social ties.
That upside can reverse when retirees become isolated or inactive: more than a dozen studies over the past decade have tied retirement to higher risks of depression and disease.
Researchers at VU Amsterdam also found later retirement can raise health risks because disease risk climbs with age, even as some older adults may benefit from staying in work for income, structure or stimulation.
Experts said there is no one-size-fits-all outcome, with job quality, prior health, social engagement and personal outlook all shaping whether retirement helps or harms well-being.