Health4 min(s) read
Published 13:52 02 Apr 2026 GMT
Paramedic reveals the most common way people die and it might shock you - it can be prevented
A former paramedic has revealed the surprisingly common way most people die - and how you can do your best to avoid it for yourself.
Most people dream of living long and healthy lives, and there's lots that can be done to give yourself the best chance of doing just that.
Some lifestyle choices are obvious - avoiding smoking, cutting down on drinking, keeping your weight in check and being careful with sun exposure among others - but there's another lesser-known issue that tends to contribute to many people's eventual deaths.
If anyone's going to know what that is, it's a paramedic who's dealt with hundreds of death calls throughout their career.
Jeff Magnuson, a retired paramedic and firefighter who now focuses on bodybuilding, shared what he found out during his time working in medicine.
Taking to TikTok, he revealed: "I think a lot of people don't realize how most people die. I worked as a paramedic for 17 years and most of the death calls I responded to were just old people dead on the toilet with no muscle tissue."
He explained that maintaining muscle isn't something people often think about until it's too late, adding: "When you're young, it seems like it's very easy to have muscle tissue - it's not really on your mind because the mortality of the fact that you're going to eventually die isn't really at the front of brain.
"But as you get older, it's very important that you get into the gym and you grow muscle tissue and you get strong, because muscle tissue is directly correlated, and data proves this, with the longevity and quality of your life."
Jeff added: "So if you want to live a long, healthy life, you'd need muscle tissue."
His post was instantly flooded with comments, with one writing: "Great I don’t even know what muscle tissue is."
Others added: "My grandma is the longest member of her gym, 80 years she’s been a member, perfect role model," and: "If muscles make you live so much better, then why do our bodies do everything possible to lose it as fast as it can, and make it so hard to gain."
Another commented: "High muscle mass also protects against diseases."
One joked: "Bold of you to assume I want to live a long and healthy life in this economy. I’m here for a good time not a long time."
According to Massachusetts General Hospital, muscle mass is indeed pretty important for longevity, and is "crucial for your overall health, healthspan, and quality of life".
One of the main reasons is for the metabolic benefits of muscle mass, as it is metabolically active tissue, meaning it need energy - in the form of calories - to maintain, and the higher a person's muscle mass, the more calories the body burns at rest, making it easier to maintain body weight.
The body naturally experiences declining muscle mass as it ages, a condition known as sarcopenia, leading to a slower metabolism.
The loss of muscle also affects strength and mobility, meaning everyday tasks can begin to become harder as the muscles deteriorate, leading to a loss of independence as well as a higher risk of falls and fractures.
Strength training is therefore particularly important for older adults, and can take many forms, such as weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, or the use of resistance bands, to preserve muscle mass and functional strength.
If you needed a little extra motivation to hit the gym tonight, let this be it - it's an investment into your longevity.