RU
ENPeople who experience the death of a sibling as children or in adulthood may be at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular illnesses.
Previous research has pointed to the connection between psychological stress after bereavement and the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The new study explored the association between sibling death and the subsequent risk for specific CVDs such as ischemic heart disease, stroke, atrial fibrillation, and myocardial infarction.
For individuals who have experienced the loss of a sibling, particular attention should be given to their subsequent risk of CVD.
Autors researches analyzed data from more than 2 million people in Denmark born between 1978 and 2018 who had experienced the loss of a sibling.
People who had congenital heart disease and those diagnosed with CVD before the sibling's death were excluded from the study. The records of surviving siblings were analyzed until their first diagnosis of CVD, their date of death, or December 31, 2018, whichever came first.
Participants who lost a sibling had a 17% higher risk for overall CVD than those who had not experienced such a loss, the study found (95% CI, 1.10-1.23). The risks were even more pronounced for specific types of CVD. Researchers found a 66% higher risk for myocardial infarction (95% CI, 1.12-2.46), a 52% higher risk for ischemic heart disease (95% CI, 1.22-1.90), and a 50% higher risk for heart failure (95% CI, 1.00-2.26) compared to those who did not experience the death of a sibling.
Individuals whose siblings died from CVD showed a 154% higher risk of developing CVD themselves (95% CI, 2.04-3.17), while those whose siblings died from a cause unrelated to CVD had a 13% increase in the risk for CVD (95% CI, 1.06-1.19).
Incorporating family history and genetic risk factors into risk assessments for living siblings becomes imperative for a more comprehensive understanding and accurate evaluation of their susceptibility to early-onset CVD. He said the findings suggested that when a young person experiences the death of a sibling, their stress responses from bereavement may trigger changes in the brain and physiologically.
Researches also identified a higher risk of developing CVD within the first year following the death of their sibling, with adolescents experiencing a more than threefold increase in risk during this period. Stronger associations were observed if the loss was of a younger sibling or a twin.
