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Health, longevity improved in generations after Black Death
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The generations after the medieval Black Death benefited from improvements in mortality and health, suggesting that infectious diseases may influence the overall demographic and longevity patterns of a population, researchers reported.
The Black Death, caused by Yersinia Pestis, killed an estimated 30% to 50% of the population in Europe between 1347 and 1351, according to background information in the study.
The researchers analyzed skeletal remains from periods before and after the Black Death. Searching London cemeteries, they collected 75 samples from the Guildhall Yard, 246 from the St. Nicholas Shambles cemetery and an additional 143 samples from the St. Mary Spital cemetery. Post-Black Death skeletal samples (n=133) were collected from the St. Mary Graces cemetery. The samples represented a range of high and low socioeconomic standing during the period. Health status was evaluated through examination of teeth and porous lesions.
The ages of the skeletons were determined using transition analysis, and the effect of each time period (either pre- or post-Black Death) on mortality was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. A hazard model was used to assess differences in mortality risks between both populations.
The researchers found that there was a higher percentage of adults older than 50 years in the post-Black Death sample, and that those living after the Black Death had improved survival vs. those who came before it (P<.001). Additional analyses indicated that there was not a significant change in birth rates between the pre- and post-Black Death periods.
According to study researcher and University of South Carolina anthropologist Sharon DeWitte, PhD, these findings provide insight as to how a disease can shape a population.
“Knowing how strongly diseases can actually shape human biology can give us tools to work with in the future to understand disease and how it might affect us,” DeWitte said in a press release.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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