Named factor that doubles the risk of premature death

Scientists from Aarhus University have found that those who experience severe grief after losing a loved one have an increased risk of premature death for up to 10 years. The research results are published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health (FPH).

The study involved 1735 people. The average age of the subjects was 63 years, and all of them had previously experienced the death of a relative.

Researchers measured how sensitive the volunteers were to loss using the Prolonged Grief-13 Scale - a scale for assessing symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (PGD). It was found that those who experienced pronounced and prolonged grief were twice as likely to die within the next ten years compared to those who grieved less.

"We have previously linked intense grief with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, mental disorders, and even suicide," noted the lead author of the study, Dr. Mette Kjærgaard Nielsen.

Scientists also found that most of those who experienced the loss most severely had already been diagnosed with mental disorders and prescribed appropriate treatment before the death of their loved one.

Experts remind that severe grief can also cause "broken heart syndrome" or stress-induced cardiomyopathy. This acute, sometimes life-threatening condition develops as a reaction to a sharp release of stress hormones. In this condition, part of the heart temporarily loses its ability to pump blood effectively, causing symptoms similar to a heart attack.

Unlike a classic heart attack, with broken heart syndrome, the arteries are not blocked, but the threat to life remains.