Saturday December 22, 2012, 1:39 pm
The findings, published in the November issue of Annals of Neurology, focus mainly on how gene mutations can account for differences in circadian rhythms — including entire families who wake up extremely early or can't stay awake after 8 p.m.

While the data from the long-term study may help with work scheduling and planning medical treatments, it is the time-of-death forecast that has captured most attention.

"There's even a circadian rhythm of death," says Clifford Saper, chief of neurology at Harvard Medical School's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston and co-author of the study, "so that in the general population, people tend on average to be most likely to die in the morning hours.

"Sometime around 11 a.m. is the average time."

The researchers, led by first author Andrew Lim, assistant professor in neurology at the University of Toronto, were initially looking at how the circadian clock regulates the body in terms of preferred sleep times, times of peak cognitive performance and the timing of many physiological processes.

But when investigators went back and looked at participants who had been in the longest — some for more than 15 years starting at age 65 — and who had since died, they found a startling fact.

The same genotype that governed people's sleep-wake patterns predicted the time of death.

People with the AA or AG genotype died just before 11 a.m., like most of the population, but those with the GG genotype on average died at just before 6 p.m., said a release from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre.

"So there is really a gene that predicts the time of day that you'll die," says Saper. "Not the date, fortunately, but the time of day."

Saturday December 22, 2012, 1:52 pm
weird

Saturday December 22, 2012, 5:56 pm
noted, thanks !

Saturday December 22, 2012, 6:53 pm
I'd rather be surprised!

Saturday December 22, 2012, 7:16 pm
scary

Saturday December 22, 2012, 11:27 pm
Thanks Michael for the info. A bit unsettling though. Read and noted.

Monday December 24, 2012, 12:12 pm
Thanks Michael. Very interesting though it was a bit unnerving,.

Monday December 24, 2012, 5:18 pm
Not surprised. I'm a day sleeper, so not a big surprise if I end up being a day dier, lol.

Monday December 24, 2012, 8:08 pm
Depressing

Tuesday December 25, 2012, 4:15 am
Quite interesting. Tell me more.

Tuesday December 25, 2012, 11:53 am
This is interesting, but not something especially relevant to one's, or my, daily life.
But, as we contemplate our mortality, perhaps it is a good idea to also think of how we wnt to be remembered, whenever we die; whay kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?

Tuesday December 25, 2012, 1:49 pm
When it gives me the day & year, then I'll be MORE interested.

Tuesday December 25, 2012, 6:13 pm
I wONDER about how napping during the day may cause interference with the circadian rhythm of death

Tuesday December 25, 2012, 9:44 pm
Hmmm. Interesting, but not really useful.

Tuesday December 25, 2012, 11:25 pm
Really interestings. Biological clock inside the mammal body is amazing. Thank you.

Wednesday December 26, 2012, 2:48 am
Not interested in this type of research. I prefer to live well until the last minute of my life.

Wednesday December 26, 2012, 6:01 am
What a crock! If it's 11:00 AM, why do so many people die peacefully during the night? But then I guess it's 11 AM somewhere.

I'm sure the "researchers" have submitted a request for a large Taxpayer funded Grant for further "study" of this phenomenon. I'll save you taxpayers the money: you have a 55% chance of dying between 1:00 AM and 1:30PM.

Wednesday December 26, 2012, 7:51 am
Well it is good to know that at least we do something consistently. : )

Wednesday December 26, 2012, 8:42 am
Weird...

Wednesday December 26, 2012, 10:49 pm
Noted, thanks.

Thursday December 27, 2012, 10:19 am
interesting

Friday December 28, 2012, 7:38 am
Wake me up when it's over, that is if you can.

Cause I'm gonna be dancing!

Death holds no fears for me. But as long as I'm here, before my "time" comes, I'm going to keep doing as much good as I can for as many animals and people as I can., My three score and ten is done. I'm going to make good use of the bonus days.

Friday December 28, 2012, 2:20 pm
Now if we can figure out which day.!!!! If you want to know that is.!!!

Friday December 28, 2012, 7:45 pm
This is what they spend research dollars on? Jeez.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 3:39 am
Noted thanks. I feel that the date of our demise is written long before we come - probab;y the time too.

Saturday December 29, 2012, 4:13 pm
So interesting, I´ve read of this before, we are starting to unveil DNA´s secrets!!

Saturday December 29, 2012, 4:29 pm
I issued forth at 06:57 and it is at that hour that I will go. Thrrrppp!

Sunday December 30, 2012, 7:03 pm
Thank you!