Movie heroes often shine with their moments, but may not keep the aura for the rest of their lives if they maintain the lifestyle that is built in the movies.
For example, 2 months ago, we introduced the case of agent 007. The details in 25 episodes with the appearance of James Bond show that this gentleman is very susceptible to food poisoning, dehydration while on duty, aggressive parasites from cats and especially infectious diseases. sexually transmitted (when having sex on average more than 2 times per episode without using safety precautions).
Now, a new study in the medical journal BMJ has continued to examine the health of Marvel superheroes. They do this by reviewing 24 major episodes in the cinematic universe from Iron Man (2008) to Black Widow (2021) to analyze the superhero’s lifestyle and health factors.
Researchers say that in addition to Spider-Man who just graduated from high school and Thor, who can live for several thousand years, other superheroes are in the middle age of 30-50. So maybe it’s time for them to have regular health checkups and take care of the other side of the slope of their lives.
With the constant intensity of activities to save the world, working in explosive environments, high levels of noise pollution and the multiple injuries throughout the body that we see at the end of each episode, as we age, the Marvel superheroes will have a higher risk of certain diseases than the average person.
Specifically, injuries, especially blows to the head, will increase the risk of memory loss for superheroes in general as they age. Exposure to noise and inhalation of dust in the vicinity of large collisions and explosions puts them at risk for cognitive decline and dementia.
Some superheroes like Hulk and Thor have very loud voices, which can sometimes be a sign that they have early-stage hearing loss, or neuro-sensitive hearing loss.
Fortunately, researchers found that most superheroes lead a healthy lifestyle, do not smoke and do not use drugs, except for Tony Stark who is a drinker and Thor has had a fat time. due to addiction to beer and electronics.
They regularly practice sports and are certainly not inactive people. “Even in discussions to figure out how to stop aliens from enslaving humanity, superheroes are constantly standing and moving. Taking more steps each day and reducing sedentary behaviors will help. they reduce premature mortality,” the researchers wrote.
In addition, the Marvel superhero also maintains a clear, positive and optimistic mindset, which are all important factors for mental health, and have been shown to help reduce the risk of dementia. intellectual impairment.
Even the fact that Marvel superheroes gather into a social group, to share, bond and comfort each other is also taken into account by scientists. “Those with close social ties tend to live longer than those who live in isolation,” the study wrote. In contrast, loneliness is likened to a risk factor such as smoking, drinking and physical inactivity.
In the last part of the study, scientists selected 5 typical superheroes to delve into their typical psychological and behavioral factors. Specifically:
Iron Man (Tony Stark)
A genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist, Iron Man amassed a health advantage in his old age, a high social and economic status. This, along with Tony Stark’s superhuman intelligence, is considered a factor that helps him reduce the risk of memory loss in old age.
His near-instant access to the healthcare system and the fact that Tony is happily married to Pepper Potts suggest that he will have a healthy aging age – if not sacrificed in the line of duty. End game.
However, Tony also has some health risks. Moving a lot at high altitude, even out into space, has exposed Iron Man’s body to a lot of radiation. It’s not clear if Iron Man’s armor is resistant to radiation, but without it, researchers think that Tony is more susceptible to osteoporosis and cancer in old age.
In addition, Tony also has chronic heart disease, which is not exactly heart failure or typical cardiovascular disease, so the researchers think it is a large but difficult to predict risk.
Hulk (Bruce Banner)
When Bruce Banner transforms into Hulk, his heart beats over 200 beats per minute. This suggests that Banner has a predisposition to arrhythmia, a potential factor in cardiovascular disease. Atrial fibrillation, the world’s most common heart rhythm disorder, has been shown to be strongly associated with an increased risk of stroke, dementia, and premature death.
In addition, Hulk’s body mass index (BMI) is about 120 (calculated from height 213 cm to 243 cm and weight 471 kg to 635 kg). This puts the green-skinned giant at risk of several chronic underlying diseases.
Caring for a giant like Hulk also poses a huge challenge for the medical team, if they are not trained, trained and the hospital has the medical equipment to serve the oversized person when he is oversized.
What’s even more disturbing, Hulk seems to be angry all the time. This poor mental health condition can lead to inflammation and increase the risk of many diseases in old age.
Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff)
Natasha Romanoff once shared that she was abandoned by her biological mother, then trained rigorously to become an assassin since childhood. These were experiences that greatly affected her mental health, especially with abuse, neglect and frequent personal conflicts.
These exposures to poor mental health increase the risk of both mental and physical illness as Romanoff ages.
The film’s details also reveal that Black Widow was once forced to undergo sterilization, and led to the sudden cessation of ovarian function at a young age. This has been linked to many diseases, including osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, dementia and depression.
Although it is possible that Romanoff had undergone a hysterectomy without removal of the fallopian tubes, infertility is associated with adverse outcomes, including higher all-cause mortality. ordinary people.
Black Panther (T’Challa)
Wakanda is the most economically and technologically developed country in the world thanks to their vibranium resources. As a king, T’Challa will of course receive the best health care “services”.
Maybe he will age in a healthy way like those of high education, wealth and status in the developed world today. In addition, Black Panther is vegetarian, a plant-based diet that will help him with a healthy aging process, reducing the risk of obesity and heart-related diseases.
There is only one health risk to Black Panther that he took a potion of herbs that improve his physical and mental abilities, which gives him superpowers. Side effects from this herb are still unknown.
Today, performance-enhancing drugs are generally associated with an increased risk of mortality and a range of adverse health effects and reduced quality of life.
Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
The first thing to say, Peter Parker is an orphan. Early paternity loss is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes, including substance abuse, eating disorders, and impaired psychological health.
Fortunately, Parker has received love from Aunt May and admiring a manly role model like Tony Stark has helped him avoid some of these dangers.
However, with going to school during the day and fighting crime at night, Spider-Man certainly doesn’t get the 8-10 hours of sleep recommended by health organizations for high school students.
Lack of sleep in adolescents has been linked to obesity, poor physical and mental health. It also makes Parker more prone to fatigue, sluggishness, and tripping. Fortunately, the flexibility and agility inherited from spiders will help him avoid injury.
Falling in old age is one of the major causes of injury and disability.
Refer to BMJ
