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Fast Heart Rate, Rhythm Problems Found in Bereaved November 14, 2010 World A
mourner holds a white rose as hearses carrying the coffins of two British
soldiers are driven through the streets of Wootton Bassett in southern
England Photo: Reuters/Toby Melville
"While
the focus at the time of bereavement is naturally directed toward the
deceased person, the health and welfare of bereaved survivors should also
be of concern to medical professionals, as well as family and
friends," said Thomas Buckley, acting director of postgraduate
studies at the University of Sydney Nursing School in Sydney, Australia. Heart
attacks and sudden cardiac death have previously been associated with
recent bereavement, but previous research has not been able to explain the
link, or why the risk appears to wane over time. In
the new study, 24-hour heart monitors and other tests enabled researchers
to document increases in heart rate and reduced heart rate variability --
a measure of the heart's rhythmic regularity. The
study showed bereaved patients had almost twice the number of episodes of
rapid heartbeats, or tachycardia -- 2.23 episodes vs. 1.23 episodes --
than non-bereaved participants in the first weeks after the family
member's death. But after six months, their numbers were lower than the
non-bereaved volunteers. The
average heart rate for bereaved patients was 75.1 beats per minute in the
early stages of the study, compared with 70.7 in the non-bereaved. But the
rate for the bereaved patients reverted to 70.7 after six months. "Increased
heart rate and reduced heart rate variability in the early months of
bereavement are possible mechanisms of increased cardiovascular risk
during this often very stressful period," said Buckley, the study's
lead researcher. He
presented the results at the annual scientific meeting of the American
Heart Association, being held in The
study also assessed levels of depression and anxiety, which rose greatly
after the death of a family member, but abated only somewhat after six
months. The
average depression score in the bereaved was 26.3, as assessed by a
standard measurement scale, compared to only 6.1 percent in the
non-bereaved. The difference declined after six months, but remained
almost three times higher than the non-bereaved group. "While
our findings do not establish causality, they are consistent with evidence
for psychosocial triggering of cardiovascular events," Buckley said. More Information on US Health Issues
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