Grief following family member’s death may increase heart failure mortality risk, study finds

Risk was found to be highest in first week following loss of a family member

Heart failure patients experiencing grief after the loss of a close family member are at an increased risk of death, a new study has found.

The study, published in the journal JACC: Heart Failure, found that patients in mourning, particularly during the first week following the family member’s death, are at increased risk of death.

Researchers, including those from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, say grieving the loss of a close family member can increase stress levels, which contributes to poor heart failure (HF) prognosis.