stress and medical illness

[johnb]

From th DBR main page: "We’re not saying Roy Williams kidney tumor had anything to do with stress – how the hell would we know? But coaching college basketball is without question a highly stressful profession and it is striking, even if ultimately insignificant, that three prominent coaches – Williams, Rick Majerus and Billy Gillispie – have disclosed serious health issues in the past few weeks. And we’re guessing Jim Calhoun was pounding down the Maalox before he called it a career too."


I know of no evidence that stressful jobs cause cancer. Further, I'd argue that Williams' job is not unusually stressful: he's a rich, famous top dog whose daily life is under his control. Stressful in a medical sense is reserved more commonly for people lower on the ladder who lack control over their lives. No doubt he's under pressure and has to make hard decisions, etc, but I'm not sure he's under stress and I'm confident that didn't cause his tumors.

Jim Calhoun may have been pounding Maalox, but he worked til 71 yrs old and seems to have retired because of spinal stenosis, broken ribs, etc. Oh, and the stress/ulcer link was abandoned years ago.

The other two coaches have behavioral problems. Majerus's obesity causes medical probs, but I'm not sure he wouldn't have had the same probs in a different job. Gillispie is a recovering alcoholic with a fairly dramatic personality disorder. Coaching success may have fanned those flames, but plenty of people act badly whose jobs are more average.

I write this because I don't like the tendency to find unsubstantiated meaning in a cluster of unrelated facts: 3 middle aged (53, 62, 64) men have 3 unrelated illnesses (as is often the case in men of that age) but have a similar job. Perhaps noteworthy but not meaningful.

[allenmurray]

From th DBR main page: "We’re not saying Roy Williams kidney tumor had anything to do with stress – how the hell would we know? But coaching college basketball is without question a highly stressful profession and it is striking, even if ultimately insignificant, that three prominent coaches – Williams, Rick Majerus and Billy Gillispie – have disclosed serious health issues in the past few weeks. And we’re guessing Jim Calhoun was pounding down the Maalox before he called it a career too."


I know of no evidence that stressful jobs cause cancer. Further, I'd argue that Williams' job is not unusually stressful: he's a rich, famous top dog whose daily life is under his control. Stressful in a medical sense is reserved more commonly for people lower on the ladder who lack control over their lives. No doubt he's under pressure and has to make hard decisions, etc, but I'm not sure he's under stress and I'm confident that didn't cause his tumors.

Jim Calhoun may have been pounding Maalox, but he worked til 71 yrs old and seems to have retired because of spinal stenosis, broken ribs, etc. Oh, and the stress/ulcer link was abandoned years ago.

The other two coaches have behavioral problems. Majerus's obesity causes medical probs, but I'm not sure he wouldn't have had the same probs in a different job. Gillispie is a recovering alcoholic with a fairly dramatic personality disorder. Coaching success may have fanned those flames, but plenty of people act badly whose jobs are more average.

I write this because I don't like the tendency to find unsubstantiated meaning in a cluster of unrelated facts: 3 middle aged (53, 62, 64) men have 3 unrelated illnesses (as is often the case in men of that age) but have a similar job. Perhaps noteworthy but not meaningful.

But if we couldn't make comments about subjects that we know absolutely nothing about what would be the point of the internet? ;)

That being said, you are correct. There are no similairites between the medical problems sufferred by the four coaches mentioned in the front page article. Stress as a common link is pure speculation. While I certainly believe that stress impacts on our physical health, front page article is baseless speculation.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Also, age may be an important factor here. Roy Williams is 62, Rick Majerus is 64, and Billy Gillispie is a "young" 52. Age undoubtedly makes one more susceptible to debilitating diseases. Unfortunately, the more prominent a coach, the more the coach will be susceptible to health concerns because prominence usually = old age usually = more health issues.

[Turtleboy]

I write this because I don't like the tendency to find unsubstantiated meaning in a cluster of unrelated facts: 3 middle aged (53, 62, 64) men have 3 unrelated illnesses (as is often the case in men of that age) but have a similar job. Perhaps noteworthy but not meaningful.Exactly. If I had posted such claptrap I would be flagged for rumor mongering. Especially with a lead sentence in such an inflammatory style. "I'm not saying so and so is a flaming idiot, but ... "

[Zeke]

From th DBR main page: "We’re not saying Roy Williams kidney tumor had anything to do with stress – how the hell would we know? But coaching college basketball is without question a highly stressful profession and it is striking, even if ultimately insignificant, that three prominent coaches – Williams, Rick Majerus and Billy Gillispie – have disclosed serious health issues in the past few weeks. And we’re guessing Jim Calhoun was pounding down the Maalox before he called it a career too."


I know of no evidence that stressful jobs cause cancer. Further, I'd argue that Williams' job is not unusually stressful: he's a rich, famous top dog whose daily life is under his control. Stressful in a medical sense is reserved more commonly for people lower on the ladder who lack control over their lives. No doubt he's under pressure and has to make hard decisions, etc, but I'm not sure he's under stress and I'm confident that didn't cause his tumors.

Jim Calhoun may have been pounding Maalox, but he worked til 71 yrs old and seems to have retired because of spinal stenosis, broken ribs, etc. Oh, and the stress/ulcer link was abandoned years ago.

The other two coaches have behavioral problems. Majerus's obesity causes medical probs, but I'm not sure he wouldn't have had the same probs in a different job. Gillispie is a recovering alcoholic with a fairly dramatic personality disorder. Coaching success may have fanned those flames, but plenty of people act badly whose jobs are more average.

I write this because I don't like the tendency to find unsubstantiated meaning in a cluster of unrelated facts: 3 middle aged (53, 62, 64) men have 3 unrelated illnesses (as is often the case in men of that age) but have a similar job. Perhaps noteworthy but not meaningful.

There is no doubt that these illeness (as with most other problems of this earth) are related to global warming

[Nepos]

There is no doubt that these illeness (as with most other problems of this earth) are related to global warming

You lost me there. Are you suggesting that these illnesses are due to Dean Smith being a Democrat or a chain smoker or both?

[BD80]

Also, age may be an important factor here. Roy Williams is 62, Rick Majerus is 64, and Billy Gillispie is a "young" 52. Age undoubtedly makes one more susceptible to debilitating diseases. ...

And sometimes it ain't the years, its the miles.