Stress of Divorce Increases Risk of Heart Attacks

A recent scientific study published in Cardiology Research and Practice,  a publication in the United Kingdom, created a correlation between divorce and adverse cardiac outcomes.

The study tracked 1,068 patients, of whom 124 were divorced. The effects were particularly noticeable in women, in whom there was a significant adjusted association between divorce and severe coronary artery disease, as well as an enhanced risk of multivessel disease and left main coronary artery disease.

Coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease starts to develop when the blood vessels running to the heart become damaged or affected by other diseases. Usually this is caused by inflammations or by plaque deposits that contain high levels of cholesterol. As that plaque builds up, it clogs up the arteries, narrowing the space through which blood is able to flow and decreasing the overall blood flow throughout the body. This can result in shortness of breath, chest pains and heart attacks in severe cases.

The stress, anxiety and other unhealthiness that tends to occur during the divorce process can all contribute to these risk factors for coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular risks and stressors. This is one of the reasons why so many experts recommend people going through divorce to get active and join a gym if they don’t already work out—not only can it be good to work out your emotions in a positive setting, but it also can protect you against some of the potential cardiovascular side effects of divorce.

For more information about the physical toll a divorce can take on you, contact an experienced Long Island divorce lawyer at Bryan L. Salamone & Associates.