What’s Killing Expats?

Written By Joe Gilbert

Hey everyone, Let’s explore the leading causes of death for expats (both natural and accidental) and how to not become a statistic.

As we move along, keep in mind that I’m not some influencer selling a dream. I spent 14 years running surveillance ops, assessing risks and staying alive in places most people only see on TV. Now I use that same skillset to help retirees and expats navigate life overseas. The big surprise here, is that NONE of the risks I’ve faced in my professional career are the things most likely to kill us in retirement.

Feel free to watch the video below without the YouTube ads.

Any support via the merch or donations’ page are greatly appreciated.

Accidental and Natural Causes

The number one non-natural cause of death for expats isn’t being robbed or shot to death, it’s motor-vehicle crashes. The number one leading natural cause of death, for retirees is cardiovascular disease. That’s right, heart attacks and strokes are not only the number one natural cause, they are the number one overall cause of death for expats.

I learned the hard truths about the vehicle crashes the hard way. During thousands of kilometers of travel on my motorcycle exploring the island of Luzon, I’ve encountered many crashes (mostly motorcycle and trikes). The number one truth is that although loving and caring people will stop and many will try to give aid, almost none have any first aid training and there is no life-flight or well equipped ambulance coming to your aid. In most cases you will be on your own. Even if you crash in a major city, traffic will prevent any emergency repsonse from arriving or getting you to a treatment facility in a timely manner.

Even if you’re not serious injured, infections here from scrapes and minors cuts can kill you if not properly and promptly treated. The expat community is small and I’m sure if you search YouTube you will find several videos about expats dying because they did not get minor cuts and scrapes treated in a timely manner. .

While accidents are what get the most publicity and hype, after hearing about a few seemingly healthy expats dropping dead, I began doing some research. I was surprised to see that heart disease was the most common natural cause of death and the top overall cause of death for expats. Again, there are links below for you to do your own research.

This Really Is A Big Deal

Right now, over 10 million Americans live abroad. Add in Brits, Canadians and Aussies, and the total easily surpasses 15 million. Also of note that most expats are over 50 years old. If current trends hold, thousands will die this year alone from preventable heart issues. That’s not fear mongering, that’s math.

Think about it, when you retire abroad, you will likely eat richer food, drink more fun stuff, skip annual checkups because the doctor doesn’t speak English, isn’t conveniently located, or maybe because you don’t have health insurance. So what happens over time? Blood pressure creeps up. Plaque builds and arteries clog. One day, you’re on a beach in Boracay and you don’t come home. Your kids get a call. Your pension stops. Your story ends.

Stats from the CDC

From CDC Yellow book In 2019–2021, over 1,500 U.S. citizens died from non-natural causes in foreign countries, with motor vehicle crashes being the leading cause of non-natural deaths, accounting for 26% of non-natural deaths. Homicide, suicide, and water-related (e.g., drowning, boating-related) deaths were the next most common causes.

CDC Data Graph

CDC Accidental Causes of Death

Remember, you can’t expect to find trauma centers capable of providing care for serious injuries outside the urban areas. You must be aware of the increased risk and to take preventive steps to reduce the chances of serious injury when traveling or residing internationally, particularly in low and middle-income countries.

Solving the Problem

We can do a lot to prevent ourselves from being “that guy or gal”

From traffic accidents:

  1. Wear a helmet and don’t drive your scooter drunk.

  2. If you fall and get scraped up, go to the doctor and get the wound cleaned and antibiotics in your system as soon as possible. This ain't Kansas, Dorothy! Infections here will kill you if you ignore this.

  3. Carry a “CAT” tourniquet or you will bleed to death if you slice an artery.

From Heart Disease:

  1. Get a baseline EKG and blood panel before you leave, and mange or correct any problems discovered. High BP, etc..

  2. Buy real insurance, not some $29/month scam. I use Pacific Cross.

  3. Monitor yourself. I check my BP every morning with a $30 Omron blood pressure machine and have an annual checkup.

  4. Move daily. I walk 3 to 4 miles per day in BGC.  No gym required.

  5. Eat like you would like to enjoy life, don’t become a habitual Jolly Bee or McDo consumer.

  6. Know where your nearest modern equipped hospital is located.

Do these things, and you slash your risk by 80%, per WHO data.

Also keep an eye on your skin and your head. Don’t let skin cancer grow and kill you. It only cost 25 USD to visit a dermatologists at St. Lukes In BGC.

Obviously we can’t remove all risks and we have no idea how long we will live, but we can almost guarantee that if we follow the above advice, we will all live longer.

A few more quick stats

  • Divers Alert Network: 49% of traveler deaths = cardiovascular.

  • CDC Yellow Book: For U.S. citizens abroad, heart disease is the top natural cause of death over 55.

  • Journal of Travel Medicine: 76% of repatriated bodies are non-infectious, mostly cardiac deaths.

  • Framingham Heart Study: Lifestyle changes cut risk 80% in 5 years.

Links below - Read them - Live them.

Thank you for your support

If this video and information here stops even one heart attack, it’s worth the effort to make it,  but I can’t do this alone. Please support the YouTube channel by liking and sharing the video there, or you can support the efforts here by visiting the merch or donate page.Your support is greatly appreciated.   

Yes It’s Worth The Effort

Choosing expat life is the best decision I’ve made for my retirement, but freedom isn’t free if you’re dead. You’ve survived far worse pain than the small amount of discipline needed to live a long, happy and healthy life abroad. You’ve got the grit and there are endless like minded people here to help you.

Until next time remember,

Better thinking does equal a better life.

Joe out.

Joe Gilbert
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