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Grief may increase heart attack risk
10 January 2012
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A person’s risk of a heart attack increases after the death of a loved one, according to a study published in the journal Circulation.
Researchers found that the risk of a heart attack was 21 times greater within 24 hours of losing a loved one, and six times greater by the end of the first week. This risk continued to decline each day after the death of a loved one, but remained elevated for at least one month. It’s important to note that these numbers are relative risks and only reflect the difference in risk between the groups of people in a study. This is different to a person’s lifetime risk of having a heart attack (absolute risk).
The people who were at greatest risk of a heart attack were those who already had a high risk of cardiovascular disease, such as people with diabetes, high cholesterol, raised blood pressure and a strong family history of the disease.
The researchers conclude that in light of their findings, it’s vital that adequate social help and support is given to people who have been recently bereaved, especially in the first few days. They also suggest future research should look into the applicability of medical treatments during these times, for example using medicines such as statins or aspirin to help prevent heart problems.
Dr Ryan Mehta, Project Clinical Director, Bupa Health and Wellbeing UK, commented: “It’s not unusual that at times of extreme stress, such as losing a loved one, you’re at a greater risk of exacerbating heart problems. However, it’s equally important to remember that this increase in risk mainly affects people who already have underlying heart problems or related conditions.
“It’s important to put this piece of research in perspective, compared to other known heart attack risk factors, for example lack of exercise or episodes of anger, the bereavement process is relatively rare. There are other factors that may also affect these results, such as whether losing a loved one was expected or unexpected and your age when you go through the bereavement process.
“As the researchers themselves say, the lifetime risk of a person having a bereavement-induced heart attack is still extremely low. This study begs the question whether similar results would be obtained among other conditions such as stroke.
“Good lifestyle habits, not just around the time of bereavement, are important for everyone. There are plenty of things you can start to do right now, including stopping smoking, exercising more and drinking less alcohol. Ask your GP for help if you’re unsure about how to keep your heart healthy.”
The researchers interviewed 1,985 people who had been hospitalised after a heart attack. They asked about details of any bereavement they had in the past year, including when the person died, the relationship they had with that person and how meaningful the death was to them. They also asked them a series of lifestyle questions, such as if they smoked and how much exercise they did, so that these known heart attack risk factors could be taken into account during their analysis.
Produced by Stephanie Hughes, Bupa Health Information Team.
Key facts
- A heart attack is most likely to cause pain or discomfort in the centre of your chest. This central chest pain is often described as a sensation of heaviness, tightness or squeezing and may come on suddenly, causing you to collapse.
- A heart attack happens when a coronary artery carrying oxygen-rich blood to your heart is blocked.
- You can reduce your risk of a heart attack by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Even if you have previously had a heart attack, these measures can still reduce your chances of having another one.
- You can look after your heart by eating healthily, exercising regularly, stopping smoking, losing excess weight and drinking alcohol in moderation.
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Read the study
Mostofsky E, Maclure M, Sherwood JB, et al. Risk of acute myocardial infarction after death of a significant person in one’s life: the determinants of MI onset study. Circulation 2012; online 9 January 2012. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.061770
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