Scientists Claim It IS Possible To Die From A Broken Heart
Despite being a simple expression, dying of a broken heart could actually be a medical condition, according to scientists.
A nine-year study of elderly couples found that the grief suffered by the surviving member of a pair when one dies is so intense that it drastically increases the likelihood of them dying soon after.
The report stated: “The death of a spouse, for whatever reason, is a significant threat to health and poses a substantial risk of death by whatever cause.”
That cause is predominately heart disease - known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy or ‘broken heart syndrome’.
Emotional loss: The shock of losing a spouse could cause heart disease Thinkstock/Getty)
The study of 373,189 elderly married couples by Nicholas A Christakis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found an 18 percent increase in ‘all-cause mortality,’ in men whose wives had died before them - and a 16 percent increase for women.
Geriatric specialist Dr Barbara Messinger-Rapport previously blamed the condition on shock, or “a traumatic emotional loss, such as death of a spouse, parent, or child”.
She added to NBC News: “It causes chest pain and sudden heart failure, believed to be brought on by a surge of fight or flight hormones.”
The study found that there was virtually no increase in death of a surviving spouse when partner died from a longterm illness.
Top pic: Thinkstock/Getty
