Myocardial Infarction in Parents Who Lost a Child

Abstract

Background— The association between psychological stress and coronary heart disease remains unclear. We conducted a prospective follow-up study based on national registers to investigate if the death of a child, one of the most severe stressors, increases the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in parents. Methods and Results— From 1980 to 1996, 19 361 parents who lost a child (Conclusions— The death of a child was associated with an increased risk of MI in bereaved parents.