Grief may trigger heart attack, other problems
Grief, heart attack linked: As per the study, losing loved ones may have a significant impact on both psychological and physical health. The study researched the influence of grief on heart function and discovered that intense grieving might induce a significant increase in blood pressure. According to the data, grieving may be a risk factor for cardiac events.
The idea of "dying of a broken heart," which can happen following the loss of a loved one, was the motivation for the research. Increased risk of mortality after the death of a loved one has long been documented in epidemiological studies. The study looked at blood pressure as a possible contributing factor.
The study included 59 participants that had lost a close loved one in the past year.
"We were looking for a way to test the cardiovascular effects of grief during that vulnerable time in the first year after the loss," said lead study author.
Study participants were interviewed and asked to focus on feelings of separation and attachment through a process researchers call "grief recall."
The researchers talked to each participant for 10 minutes and asked them to share a moment when they felt very alone after the death of their loved one. The researchers then measured the study participants' blood pressure.
After grief recall, participants' systolic blood pressure - which is the pressure that the heart exerts on the arteries while beating - increased. From the baseline level, systolic blood pressure climbed by an average of 21.1 millimeters of mercury - the unit used to measure blood pressure. That is approximately as much of an increase as would be expected during moderate exercise.
Among the 59 participants, those who showed the highest level of grief symptoms experienced the greatest increase in blood pressure during the grief recall.
This means that it isn't just the death of a loved one that impacts the heart, but our emotional response to loss that is affecting our heart.
The study added that it is important for psychologists and therapists to encourage grieving clients to get their regular medical checkups.
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- ANI
