失去最爱的人危险有多大?你想象不到..
In the three-month period following a spouse's death, widows and widowers are more likely to exhibit risk factors linked to cardiovascular illness and death, according to a new study. This could make a bereaved spouse more likely to "die of a broken heart," the researchers say. The study found that individuals who have lost a spouse within the last three months have higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and lower heart rate variability (HRV) compared with non-bereaved individuals who share the sex, age, body mass index, and educational level. Both are factors that increase an individual's risk for cardiac events, including death. The study is the first to demonstrate that bereavement is associated with elevated levels of ex vivo cytokines and lower HRV. The 32 recently bereaved individuals who participated in the study exhibited 47 percent lower levels of HRV than the 33 people in the control group. The bereaved individuals exhibited 7 percent higher levels of TNF-alpha (one type of cytokine) and 5 percent higher levels of IL-6 (another type of cytokine) than the control group. Fagundes says the study adds to a growing understanding of how bereavement can affect heart health. He hopes the research will help medical professionals better understand the biological mechanisms triggered by bereavement and allow for the creation of targeted psychological and/or pharmacological interventions to reduce or prevent the toll of a "broken heart." "Although not every bereaved individual is at the same risk for cardiac events, it is important to point out that the risk exists," Fagundes says. "In our future work, we seek to identify which widows/widowers are at greatest risk, and which are resilient to the negative physiological consequences of bereavement." |