You can die of a broken heart
ABC World Today reports a Sydney University study of 80 people who’d lost either a partner or a child, showed that grief does put people at a higher risk of heart attacks, particularly if they have a pre-existing heart condition.
Dr Tom Buckley, a senior lecturer at the Sydney University’s Nursing School who led the research, said it showed that heart rate was higher in the bereaved participants in that two week period and those with a pre-existing heart conditions are at greater risk of suffering problems during bereavement.
“Many were appreciative that we were doing this study, because they said they could feel the pain and when you would ask what they meant by they felt the pain, they said they could feel the pain in their heart and so many then quantified that by saying they could feel palpitations, they could feel their heart racing,” Dr Buckley said.
Based on the findings, more effort needs to be placed on the health and welfare of bereaved survivors.
Somebody who is already at risk and has other risk factors, should liaise with their health-care professional to be monitored a little bit closer during this high-risk period, particular in the first two to four weeks.
