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"Has someone that you&amp;#x27;ve really loved ever passed away? When that happens, it feels like your heart is breaking--and now science is showing that it really might be. According to new research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, the chance of dying of a heart attack goes up significantly in the days just following the death of a loved one. Very significantly: it&amp;#x27;s 21 times higher. The risk goes down every day after your loved one&amp;#x27;s death, but it&amp;#x27;s still six times higher than normal a week later. Why the added risk? The study&amp;#x27;s researchers report: &amp;quot;The short-term spike in risk is likely due to higher heart rate, blood pressure and increased blood clotting that can result from intense psychological stress.&amp;quot; So they caution that it&amp;#x27;s important to take care of yourself after losing a loved one--which isn&amp;#x27;t easy to do when you&amp;#x27;re overwhelmed with grief--and keep taking your prescribed medications as you do normally. You know how you hear about couples who have been together forever dying within a few weeks of each other? I wonder if this helps explain some of that. What do you think: does this news surprise you at all? More on hearts: * Is This Heart-Breaking News For Women Who Drink Sugary Beverages? * Calling All Workaholics! Still At the Office? Go Home! Why Working Late May Be a Health Risk * Do You Like the Mountains? How Living in Them May Affect Your Lifespan More Ways to Get Glamour Visit Shopglamour.com for cute stuff starting at just $10! Enter the latest Glamour sweepstakes! Follow us on Twitter Add us to your iGoogle homepage Photo: Thinkstock"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2012/01/sad-it-really-is-possible-to-d>