Broken hearts are real: study finds loss of a loved one does lead to poor physical health

Posted on February 2, 2015

LOSING a loved one really can lead to a broken heart, new research has found.

Traumatic life events such as bereavement can impact on physical as well as mental health, according to work led by Scottish researchers who found that losing a partner or family member does not just impact on levels of anxiety and depression, but also on health conditions - particularly heart disease.

The survey of more than 1000 native Chinese living in Hong Kong also found conditions such as high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, eyesight degeneration and hearing loss are more likely in people who had experienced bereavement.

Thanos Karatzias, professor of mental health at Edinburgh Napier University, who led the study with colleagues from NHS Lothian and Hong Kong University, said: "There is a strong association between physical health and traumatic life events.

"The more traumatic life events people have in their histories, the more likely they are to report physical ill-health, particularly heart disease. So the broken hearts we talk about - they do exist."

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Category(s):Ending a relationship issues, Relationships & Marriage

Source material from Herald Scotland