All of us, from the time we start working, are always dreaming about the day when we can call it quits, hang up our boots, and retire.

Invariably, we all nurse some dream or another---pursuing a hobby or passion, taking a world tour, joining a club, reading, enrolling in a class for a subject that is close to our hearts etc-basically something that we have been putting off for years, for lack of time.

But what is the truth about retirement and retired life, as far as health, disease and mortality is concerned? A few scientific studies have been done on this very subject.

Three Greek investigators studied more than 16,000 men and women who were either gainfully employed or already retired between 1994 and 1999, and had not been diagnosed with stroke, coronary artery heart disease, cancer, or diabetes mellitus.

These researchers analyzed survival status as of 2006. They discovered that people who retired-early or otherwise-- had a 51% increase in all-cause mortality, mostly from cardiovascular disease. A 5-year increase in age at retirement was associated with a 10% decrease in mortality.

This study, reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 2008, suggests that retirement may be a risk factor for both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. In this study, men and women selected were apparently healthy at enrollment.

Researchers found that death and disability were more with respect to cardiovascular diseases like hypertension, heart attacks and strokes, whereas mortality from cancer, injuries, and other diseases were not different in the retired versus working group.

Photographs: Stock Xchng