You’re a Little Too Good At Leading People You have, um, solid leadership skills? That’s the nicest way to describe a 2011 study from the Office of National Statistics in the UK, which found that a disproportionate number of dictators were born in April—including Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, and Vladmir Lenin. That’s not to say you can’t parlay those dictatorial skills in the workplace—other research indicates that people with April birthdays are more likely to be CEOs. Just try to keep those genocidal urges in check. You’re at a Higher Risk for Autoimmune Diseases Individuals born in April are at the highest risk for autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis, whereas those born six months later are at the lowest risk, according to data on over 115,000 people. Researchers suspect that this has to do with the lack of vitamin D and ultraviolet B (UVB) light exposure in the womb during winter months, and recommend that future research look into how to reduce these risks with artificial light. You Might Have Weak Bones Women born in April are more likely to develop osteoporosis, according to an analysis of nearly 30,000 people with 27 chronic diseases. Still, the same study found that men born in March, June, and December were more likely to have cataracts, so at least they can’t see your weak bones. Like the previous study, authors suspect that this has to do with vitamin D exposure in the womb. Your Heart May Not Be in Great Shape, But The Rest Of You Is Fine April babies may be at the highest risk for cardiovascular diseases, according to one of the largest studies on the topic. Researchers looked at the medical records of 1.75 million people between 1900 and 2001, and found that March and April babies were at the highest risk for 6 out of 9 cardiovascular conditions, which further indicates that birth season impacts health to at least some extent. But interestingly, when authors looked at cardiovascular, reproductive, respiratory, and neurological diseases combined, people with April birthdays had lower disease risk overall. Hey, at Least You’re Optimistic You may be a (literally) heartless, spineless dictator with autoimmune disease, but at least you’ll always see the glass as half full. One study reports that April babies are among the most likely to be excessively positive or “hyperthymic”. Conversely, they found that people born in summer months were more likely to swing rapidly between sad and cheerful moods. So hold onto that April positivity—if the other studies on your birth month are any indication, you’ll need it.
