Death of a Loved One May Trigger a Heart Attack

This is an excellent example of the dangerous effect of severe psychological stress; it’s not been studied systematically before, although anecdotes abound.  Now scientists from Harvard Medical School have published the results of their study of heart attack (MI) survivors in the journal Circulation.    

The known increased likelihood of a spouse’s heart attack shortly after the death of a partner could possibly be related to their common lifestyle risk factors.  To avoid this confounding factor, the scientists employed a case-crossover study design, which compares each person with him- or herself as ‘controls’.  Data came from the multicenter Determinants of MI Onset Study (MIOS), and contained information on 1,985 heart attack patients – 66% were male, average age 61 years.  In 270 (13.6%) of the patients the death of a significant person was reported in the previous 6 months. (The term “significant person” represents a relative, friend, sibling, parent, spouse, or child.)  And 19 patients reported a significant death occurring within 24 hours of the onset of their heart attack; 7 within 24 to 48 hours; 5 within 48 to 72 hours; and 21 within 4 to 7 days. 

Calculations of the risks of having an MI were made for each of these periods, and compared with the individual’s ‘normal’ risk.  It was found that the incidence of heart attack was increased 21-fold within 24 hours of a significant death, and though it declined on each subsequent period measured, it remained 6-fold higher than normal the first week after bereavement.

To quote the principal author of the study: “Bereaved individuals and their family and friends should be aware of the heightened risk in the days and weeks after hearing of someone close dying”.  This may include taking already-prescribed meds, with perhaps addition of a sedative, aspirin or a beta-blocking drug if the individual has cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure.