You really could die from a broken heart

Hearts really can break, scientists claim.   Losing a loved one increases the risk of developing an irregular heartbeat, raising the chance of deadly strokes and heart failure.   Younger people are most likely to die of a broken heart – and the risk is highest when the bereavement is unexpected, a study of nearly a million people found.   It showed the chance of developing irregular heartbeat, or arterial fibrilation, is 41% higher among the bereaved – and more than double in those under 60.   Those whose partners were relatively healthy in the month before death were 57% more likely to develop an irregular heartbeat.   The Danish study, published in journal Open Heart on Wednesday, found the risk was highest eight to 14 days after the loss.   The authors warned no cause and effect can be inferred from the observational study, but that bereavement raises the risk of heart disease, mental illness and death.   Acute stress may disrupt heart rhythms and prompt the production of chemicals involved in inflammation, they suggested.   They wrote: “The loss of a partner is one of the most severely stressful life events, likely to affect most people independently of coping mechanisms.”   Maureen Talbot, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Bereavement can be even worse when a death is sudden or premature.   "Our research has shown how emotional stress can have an adverse effect on the heart but this study also highlights a significant physical effect.   “It is important to ensure the newly bereaved, regardless of age, are monitored, supported and see their GP with any symptoms.”