Unavoidable life event linked to premature death

A new study has revealed that ‘highly intense’ grief can send you to an early grave.

The findings come from a Danish study of 1,735 bereaved relatives, with an average age of 62, which looked at the link between mortality and intensity of grief.

Researchers measured how intensely people experienced grief by using the Prolonged Grief-13 Scale.

The bereaved with the highest intensity grief that persisted had double the risk of premature death over ten years.

This was in comparison to those who reported experiencing the lowest levels of grief after losing a loved one.

Researchers don’t know the exact cause of the increased mortality observed in those with high levels of grief.

But lead author of the study, Dr Mette Kjærgaard Nielsen, a public health expert at Aarhus University said: ‘We have previously found a connection between high grief symptom levels and higher rates of cardiovascular disease, mental health problems, and even suicide.’

They also found those with the most intense grief had been prescribed mental health treatment before they lost a loved one. 

So, Dr Nielsen told MedicalExpress: ‘A GP could look for previous signs of depression and other severe mental health conditions.’

This would allow them to refer them to the relevant secondary care or follow-up bereavement appointments focusing on mental health, she advised.

The study which started in 2012, followed participants who were of an average age of 62 for ten years.

It identified five ‘grief trajectories’ that categorised how participants experienced their grief.

The most common, experienced by 38 per cent, was ‘persistently low levels of grief symptoms’.

Then nearly a fifth had ‘high but decreasing’ symptoms, while 29 per cent had ‘moderate but decreasing’ grief.

Another nine per cent of participants began with lower levels of grief that increased, peaking at six months, before reducing. 

The six per cent with highest grief’ symptoms that persisted over time, were those with a higher risk of an early death.

Previously experts warned found that grief can cause broken heart syndrome, also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy

The life-threatening phenomenon, which affects around 2,500 Brits every year, is a reaction by the heart to a sudden release of stress hormones.

This causes part of the heart to become temporarily enlarged and struggle to pump blood properly.

Experts say it can cause the same symptoms and complications as a heart attack, which can be life-threatening.

However, unlike those who suffer heart attacks, broken heart syndrome is not linked with blocked arteries. 

But it can be misdiagnosed as a heart attack, stopping patients from receiving the right treatment. 

Previously MailOnline reported that scientists based at the University of Aberdeen claimed the syndrome is not being treated correctly.

Their five-year-study, based on 4,000 people in Scotland showed around a quarter of patients with the condition died.

Analysis also showed that drugs used to prevent heart attacks did not improve the survival rate of takotsubo cardiomyopathy, despite being the go-to treatment. 

Their findings came after the ex-partner of Sinead O’Connor insisted that the star, 56, died of a broken ‘broken heart’.

Her son Shane took his own life 18 months before the singer passed. Officially, her death certificate states she died of natural causes.