A study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found physicians are at a higher risk of suicide than the general population, with suicide rates in the general population hitting an all-time high in 2022, according to the CDC.
COVID-19 also claimed excess physician lives early in the pandemic, with one study estimating there were 622 more physician deaths than expected from March 2020 to December 2021; however, that trend leveled off in April 2021 once vaccines became widely available.
Among the general population, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., with one study suggesting physicians might be more prone to the disease due to stressful work environments.