Atrial fibrillation after deep mourning

The death of a close person has a negative effect on the heart health of the mourners. A Danish study has shown that the risk of atrial fibrillation in partners is significantly increased even after one year after the death of the loved one.

Deep grief can cause heart-rhythm disorders. Image: Sonja Calovini - fotolia

The Danish study examined how the death of the partner affects the risk of atrial fibrillation. The researchers used data from Danish health registers from 1995 to 2014. They evaluated data on 88,612 patients who were first diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. 17,478 of them had experienced the death of their partner.

Compared to a control group, the risk of atrial fibrillation in patients who lost their partner was increased up to one year after death. The risk was highest in the first eight to fourteen days. In the first 30 days after the death of the partner, the risk of atrial fibrillation was increased by 41% compared to the control group.

The risk was particularly high in people under the age of 60 and those whose partners died unexpectedly. The study can be found here.