MADISON COUNTY, AL (WAFF) -
A study of 2000 heart attack patients found the psychological stress of losing a loved one can actually increase the risk of having a heart attack.
The study was conducted at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
According to the study, the risk of having a heart attack was 21 times higher in the first 24 hours following the death of a loved one.
One of the toughest jobs for doctors, police officers and counselors is to tell a loved one a family member has died.
"In the past stress has just been looked at and said well that's just because you're raising blood pressure and heart rate," said Dr. Ed Robbins, Medical Director of Parkway Medical Center's Emergency Services.
He says you can't disregard emotional stress, which is evident when he has to break the news to a family.
"I try to do it in stages," he said. "I try to keep the family informed and try to prepare them. That way they are a little more prepared and it's less of a shock"
Earlier research found grieving widows and widowers account for as many as 53 percent of deaths. Dr. Robbins said he's seen other health problems due to emotional stress.
"We will see some headaches that come on later. We also see blood pressure problems."
Sandra Locke-Godbey is a United Methodist minister and licensed professional counselor who visits families in the hospital a lot.
"We watch them and we want to make sure that sometimes they're sitting down."
She said she may encourage the grieving person to drink water to watch how their body and mind react. Locke-Godbey said it's important to let the griever know they are not alone.
"We see some people that we do worry about, because of things going on in their physical life," added Locke-Godbey.
After the initial grieving process begins, she said they make a suggestion.
"One of the things we always want to do is say please get a physical."
"A lot of folks especially during a grief process or if they're taking care of someone who is terminally ill, forget to take care of themselves," added Robbins.
If you know someone going through such grief, keep an eye on them. Make certain they eat, sleep and take any medications on time. The idea is to have a good support structure so others don't die from a broken heart.
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