Almost 6.2 million peopleTrusted Source in the United States experience heart failure and every year this number increases. Stress is a recognized risk factor associated with increased mortality from heart failure.
The loss of a family member is “one of the most severe sources of stress” a person can experience.
A recent study has shown the death of a close family member is associated with an increased risk of mortality in people with heart failure. New scientific research has found that people who experience the death of a close family member are at greater risk of mortality from heart failure (HF) and that the risk is greater during the first seven days of loss.
Published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology: Heart Failure, the study highlights the impact of stress from losing a loved one on the risk of mortality in people with HF.
Heart failure signs and symptomsHF is a serious condition where the heart fails to pump enough blood and oxygen to the body’s organs. It affects nearly 6.2 millionTrusted Source people in the United States and is expected to increase further due to the aging population.
There are a number of causes of HF including damage caused by a heart attack, high blood pressure putting strain on the heart, and disease of the heart muscle called cardiomyopathy. It can also be caused by alcohol overconsumption, certain cancer treatments, anemia, and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as “broken heart syndrome.”
HF symptoms include:breathlessness due to lack of oxygen
fluid buildup and swelling of the feet, ankles, stomach, and lower back tiredness and weakness due to lack of oxygen in the muscles.
Known risk factorsTrusted Source for HF include coronary artery disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. Depression and anxiety have also been shown Trusted Sourceto be risk factors for the development and progression of HF and have been associated with increased mortality rates. Heart failure and severe stress Speaking to Medical News Today, Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, cardiologist and American Heart AssociationTrusted Source volunteer, explained: “Studies have shown that depression, anxiety, and low social support, along with increased amounts of stress can worsen cardiac function, and are associated with worse outcomes for people with heart failure.”
The new study led by Dr. Krisztina László at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, found an association between the loss of a close family member and an increased risk of mortality from HF occurring after the death of a child, partner, grandchild, and sibling but not the death of a parent.
