Named factor that doubles the risk of premature death

Grief that kills for years: scientists have found that severe loss increases the risk of death for an entire decade. A study by Danish specialists revealed a disturbing connection between the depth of grief and life expectancy.

A large-scale study conducted by scientists from Aarhus University involved 1735 people. The average age of volunteers was 63 years, each of them had previously faced the loss of a close relative.

Researchers used a special Prolonged Grief-13 Scale methodology to assess the intensity of participants' experiences. The results were shocking: people who experienced particularly deep and prolonged grief died in the following ten years twice as often compared to those who experienced loss less painfully.

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

Scientists also discovered an important pattern: most people who experienced loss most severely had suffered from mental disorders and underwent appropriate treatment even before the death of a loved one.

Experts note that severe grief can trigger the so-called "broken heart syndrome" or stress-induced cardiomyopathy. This dangerous condition occurs due to a sharp release of stress hormones, in which part of the heart muscle temporarily loses its ability to pump blood normally, causing symptoms similar to a heart attack.

Unlike a classic heart attack, with broken heart syndrome the arteries remain patent, however, the threat to a person's life is no less serious.