Recalling the Death of a Loved One Can Increase Blood Pressure and Raise Risk of Heart Disease, Study Finds

A surprising study found that recalling the death of a loved one for a short time can significantly increase blood pressure.

According to the results of a study at the University of Arizona in the United States, just remembering the death of a loved one for 10 minutes increased systolic blood pressure (highest blood pressure) by an average of 21.1 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (lowest blood pressure) by an average of 8.1 mmHg. This is similar to the rise in blood pressure during moderate-intensity exercise. The higher your blood pressure, the more likely you are to face sudden danger.

The research team asked 59 people who had lost a loved one in the past year to briefly recall a moment when they felt intensely lonely after the death of the deceased. They then measured their blood pressure and compared it to their pre-survey blood pressure. People who mourned the deceased had a higher level of blood pressure.

Associate Professor Mary Frances O’Connor (Psychology), lead author of the study, said, “I started this study with the idea that the risk of death increases if you are deeply saddened by the death of a loved one.” It has long been reported in epidemiological studies that the probability of one’s own death greatly increases after the loss of a loved one. The loss of a loved one, such as a parent, sibling, husband or wife, or friend, can take a toll on your mental and physical health.

The “grief recall” technique that the research team used when interviewing the participants was an emotional stress test of sorts. Associate Professor O’Connor said, “It’s not just the death of a loved one that adversely affects the heart; the emotional response to loss also affects the heart.” She added, “When caring for someone who is about to die, they often forget to take care of their own health.” People who have lost a loved one in death are advised to undergo regular medical examinations. In addition, relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and mindfulness meditation should be used to suppress sadness and relieve stress.

The results of this study (The relationship of prolonged grief disorder symptoms with hemodynamic response to grief recall among bereaved adults) were published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.