Russian men dying early; bad habits blamed

Smoking is one of the habits that have been blamed for the relatively short life expectancy of Russian men

May 21, 2000
Web posted at: 10:39 p.m. EDT (0239 GMT)

In this story: Life expectancy less than 60 years 'I want to die running a race' RELATED STORIES, SITES

From Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty

MOSCOW (CNN) -- It's 7 a.m., and Henry Komarov has already run 10 kilometers.

The 6.2-mile run is just one part of this 66-year-old Russian's daily workout routine.

"The No. 1 enemy," he says, "is rest."

On Sunday, Komarov ran in the Moscow marathon. He plans to run a marathon in the United States when he's 70.

Komarov would not be classified an average 66-year-old anywhere in the world. But in Russia, he is a rarity indeed: A man who takes care of his health -- and who, perhaps not coincidentally, is older than 60.

Russian men have the highest mortality rate in Europe, according to a leading expert. Their life expectancy is less than 60 years.

Heart disease and circulatory problems are rampant, causing half of all male deaths. Renat Akchurin, Russia's foremost heart surgeon and the man who operated on President Boris Yeltsin, points to several reasons for that.

"Probably style of life," he says. "Probably overeating. Probably the use of a lot of meat, fats. Probably stress. Of course, because of the smoking habits."

Alcohol, too, is a culprit. According to a new study, two-thirds of working-age Russian men who die, do so from alcohol-related causes.

Russian women, on average, have been found to live 14 years longer than men. One woman who identifies herself as Galina claims to know why.

"All the men are lazy," she says. "We're not!"

All men? Komarov begs to differ.

"I want to die running a race," he says. "That would be my dream!"

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