Grief can be heartbreaking. A new study shows that during the first 24 hours after the death of a loved one, a person’s risk of suffering from a heart attack increases by about 21 times.
The study also found out that the risk of a heart attack remained 8 times above normal during the first week after the death. Though the risk of a heart attack may decline over time, it will remain elevated for at least a month.
According to Elizabeth Mostofsky, a study researcher and a post-doctoral fellow in the cardiovascular epidemiological unit at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston bereavement and grief are associated with increased feelings, of anxiety, anger, and depression and they have been shown to cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure.
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