Grief can raise blood pressure

Extreme grief doesn't just tax our souls — it can raise our blood pressure, posing higher risks for cardiovascular problems, a small new study suggests.

The analysis, published online June 1, 2023, by Psychosomatic Medicine, included people who had lost a close loved one in the prior year. Researchers interviewed the participants, who were asked to focus on feelings of separation and attachment in a process known as a "grief recall." Participants were asked to share a moment when they felt very alone after their loved one's death. The researchers then measured the participants' blood pressure.

After the grief recall process, participants' systolic blood pressure — the upper number indicating the pressure the heart exerts on artery walls while beating — rose by an average of 21.1 mm Hg. That's equivalent to the rise in systolic blood pressure people typically experience during moderate exercise. The findings show that bereaved people are at higher risk for at least temporary high blood pressure and possibly other heart-related problems, the study authors said.

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