...THE NUMBER 4 AND THE DAY YOU WILL DIE?

1. Numerology The number 4 is unlucky in China and Japan. This is because the word for the number 4 (‘sei’) is pronounced the same as the word for death or suffering.

2. Stress The HoundOf The Baskervilles Effect, named after the Sherlock Holmes story, is a real phenomenon that increases your chance of a heart attack when you are suffering from psychological stress.

3. Death A 2001 study at UC San Diego investigated the Hound Of The Baskervilles Effect, and found that people of Japanese and Chinese origin are more likely to have a fatal heart attack on the 4th of any month.

4. Superstition Yet studies have failed to find any increase in heart attacks on Friday 13th. This may be because it’s merely considered unlucky, rather than being associated with death.