NOn is a romantic legend or a novel metaphor of the past: you can die of crack, and science proves it. A team of researchers from the University of Aarhus, in Denmark, followed for ten years 1,735 people affected by the loss of a close family member. The results, published in the magazine Frontiers in Public Healthare impressive: people with very high levels of emotional pain linked to mourning have shown a mortality rate almost three times higher Compared to those who have lived a lighter elaboration.
When pain becomes risk to health
The 26.5% of participants with intense mourning symptoms died in the following ten years to loss, compared to 7.3% of those who showed milder forms. The difference is clear and disturbing. The researchers monitored the use of health services, the intake of antidepressants and other mental health indicatorsconcluding that an unprocessed pain can have concrete physical consequencesnot only psychological.
Pre -existing fragility that worsen with mourning
According to the researcher Puts Kjærgaard Nielsen, main author of the study, the people more affected by complex mournings already had a more fragile psychological condition. “Those who show a deep mourning trajectory seem to be a group of vulnerable subjects already before the death of their loved one, and needs particular attention,” Nielsen said. Among the most common factors: low level of education, bad perception of one’s health and depressive symptoms already present before mourning.
The infrantic heart syndrome really exists
Science has also given a name to this phenomenon that we usually call “crack”: the scientific name is cardiomyopathy of takotsuboalso known as “Infrantic Heart Syndrome”. It often manifests itself after highly stressful events, like a sudden mourning. The heart expands, stiffens and stops pumping blood correctlyimitating the symptoms of a heart attack. In particular, women are striking, but it is men who present a higher risk of mortality after the acute event.
Prevent cracks, the importance of listening and prevention
According to the authors of the study, Recognizing the signs of a pathological mourning in time is essential. “Basic doctors can offer a personalized follow-up to these patients, or direct them to a psychologist or mental health services,” underlines Nielsen. Intervene early can save lives, and help those who suffer not to get lost in an invisible and neglected pain. The broken heart, in many cases, can be treated. But only if it is seen.
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