Professional wrestlers die nearly three years earlier than people of the same age and sex, new research from Macquarie University shows.

The study – the largest of its kind – analysed the survival of more than 1000 male and female wrestlers who performed for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and its predecessor organisations.

Over a seven-decade period, almost one in five wrestlers died with a median age at death of just 55. Wrestlers were also found to have a 68 per cent higher rate of death from neurodegenerative disease compared to the general population.

Lead researcher Dr Reidar Lystad, an injury epidemiologist in the Australian Institute of Health Innovation at Macquarie University, said the findings highlight the risks associated with contact and collision sports.

“This study adds to the growing body of research showing elite athletes can face increased mortality in sports with repeated head trauma,” he said.

“While these athletes start out fitter and healthier than average, that advantage can be offset by long-term risks such as neurodegenerative disease.”

Cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of death among professional wrestlers, accounting for more than 40 per cent of fatalities. Drug overdoses and suicide were also major contributors to premature deaths, particularly among those who died under 50 years of age.

Key risk factors for early death included obesity and high match exposure. Wrestlers with obesity were more than three times as likely to die earlier, while those with heavier match schedules faced significantly higher risk.

The concern is underscored by high-profile cases such as Eddie Guerrero, the WWE Champion celebrated for his 2004 victory over Brock Lesnar, who died of heart failure at just 38 years of age. The 2007 murder-suicide case of Chris Benoit speaks not only to suicide rates, but also to suspected chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive neurodegenerative disease associated with repetitive head impacts.

This pattern of premature deaths has prompted US Congressional scrutiny as far back as 2007, with Rep. Henry Waxman arguing the sport had ignored the abuse of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs.

Dr Lystad says the findings show that broader issues within professional wrestling including dangerous work expectations and inadequate regulatory oversight have not been adequately addressed.

“This isn’t just about individual risk,” he says.

“It reflects the cumulative impact of high physical demands, repeated injuries and the pressures of what is now a billion-dollar, global entertainment industry.

“As highly skilled athletes, pro wrestlers take on an extraordinary level of risk in order to thrill and delight their fans. I believe we should be doing more across the sports community to support their long-term physical and mental wellbeing and ensure the culture around them does more to prevent avoidable harm.”