A new study finds that men are much more susceptible to dying within one year of losing a spouse compared to women, and men in this age group are at even higher risk.
Can you die from a broken heart? The loss of a spouse or partner is a life-changing event, but it may have more dire consequences for some than others. The increased probability that a recently widowed person will die after losing their spouse, also known as the"widowhood effect," has been long-studied by scientists.
"Their mortality risk in the first year after the loss was approximately 70% higher than those who still have their spouse in their lives and did not seem to get much better with time," Alexandros Katsiferis, a Ph.D. student in the department of public health at University of Copenhagen and co-author of the study, tells TODAY.com.
"The last trend that we observed was that the older you experience widowhood, and that’s for both sexes, the smaller was the relative increase of dying," says Katsiferis. What’s different about this research, says Carr, is that it shows there’s a much larger excess mortality risk in the earlier ages than what one would expect."Younger males are the most frail and have limited recovery potential," says Katsiferis.
The differences in morality risk after bereavement among the various age groups may also be attributed to the fact that spousal loss and death in general becomes more inevitable as we age. "They've often cultivated strong social networks with other people, especially other women, before they experience these losses," says Carr, adding that research has shown that older men tend to rely more heavily on their spouses for their social needs to be met.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Enhanced risk for severe weather on Friday in AlabamaBe weather aware! Severe weather is looking more likely across parts of Alabama from Friday night into Saturday morning ahead of a strong cold front.
Read more »
Caught on Cam: Gunmen Fire 70 Shots at Teens in Just Seconds in West PhillyJust days after three teenagers were shot as more than 70 bullets were fired in just seconds in the middle of the afternoon in West Philadelphia, police released surveillance video that they hope helps track down four masked gunmen.
Read more »
Ambush Caught on Cam: Gunmen Target 70 Shots at Teens in Just Seconds in West PhillyJust days after three teenagers were shot as more than 70 bullets were fired in just seconds in the middle of the afternoon in West Philadelphia, police released surveillance video that they hope helps track down four masked gunmen in the targeted attack.
Read more »
U.S.-South Korea alliance at 70: Moving onward and upward“A time-tested alliance.” Those words really sum up the seven-decade partnership between the United States and the Republic of Korea. Though culturally different, the two nations share the same values. Seoul has proved a trustworthy and capable partner, both in terms of national security and commercial dealings. Yet much more can and should be done.
Read more »
Washington’s cherry blossoms are in peak bloomPeak bloom occurs when 70 percent of cherry tree buds are flowering.
Read more »
Major multi-vehicle crash east of Vail forces closure of I-70 westbound lanes; detours likelyA multi-vehicle crash along Interstate 70 east of Vail has forced the closure of westbound lanes at milepost 178, Colorado Department of Transportation officials said.
Read more »