Health
Heart disease risk increases for young adults who have lost a sibling, study finds
People who lose a sibling during childhood or early adulthood could be at a higher risk of developing heart disease at an early age, a new study found.
Researchers from Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong evaluated more than two million people in Denmark who were born between the years 1978 and 2018.
Among those who had lost a sibling, the average age at the time of the death was 11.
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Based on 17 years of follow-up data, the researchers found that sibling death in childhood and early adulthood was associated with a 17% increased overall risk of cardiovascular disease.
The data analysis was conducted between Nov. 1, 2021, and Jan. 10, 2022.
People who lose a sibling during childhood or early adulthood could be at a higher risk of developing heart disease at an early age, a new study has found. (iStock)
The study findings were published in JAMA Network Open on Jan. 8.
The risk was higher among those who lost a twin or younger sibling, as compared to an older sibling, the study found.
“The findings highlight the need for extra attention and support to the bereaved siblings to reduce CVD risk later in life,” the researchers wrote.
Fox News Digital reached out to the study researchers for additional comments.
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David Schonfeld, M.D., director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, was not involved in the study but offered his reaction to the findings.
“Research on the lifelong impact of adverse experiences that occur during childhood has demonstrated the impact on physical health during adulthood,” he told Fox News Digital via email.
The risk of developing heart disease was higher among those who lost a twin or younger sibling as compared to an older sibling, the new study found. (iStock)
“Although the initial research on adverse childhood experiences did not look specifically at the impact of the death of a close family member, we know that the death of a parent or sibling is one of the most stressful experiences for children and can contribute to short- and long-term effects on the psychological functioning, emotional adjustment and developmental trajectory of children – as well as their physical health,” he added.
“A traumatic event like the loss of a sibling can carry over in a significant way into adulthood.”
Jonathan Kahan, M.D., a cardiologist on staff at Delray Medical Center, part of the Palm Beach Health Network in Florida, who was also not part of the research, acknowledged that trauma from the loss of a loved one can extend well beyond the initial loss.
“This can lead to multiple downstream effects, including chronic stress, survivor’s guilt and a host of other emotional or physical responses,” he told Fox News Digital.
A doctor encouraged cardiovascular professionals to expand their focus to non-traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as loss, bereavement and stress. (iStock)
“Chronic stress or chronic guilt is directly linked to cardiovascular disease, which has been shown in multiple studies. A traumatic event like the loss of a sibling can carry over in a significant way into adulthood for those who survive.”
Kahan referred to a condition called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as “broken-heart syndrome” or stress-induced cardiomyopathy, which tends to happen acutely after the death of a loved one.
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Based on the findings of this study, Kahan encouraged cardiovascular professionals to expand their focus to non-traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as loss, bereavement and stress.
“Health care professionals end up focusing on patients during the immediate and acute phase of loss; however, given these findings, the chronic phase of loss should also come into focus,” he said.
“Chronic stress or chronic guilt is directly linked to cardiovascular disease, which has been shown in multiple studies,” a cardiologist noted. (iStock)
“If a patient has lost a sibling, which many health care professionals screen for when examining family history, this study would give me pause as to whether that loss may still be having an effect.”
And for the person who has lost a sibling — which is a “non-modifiable risk factor” for heart disease — Kahan said it’s important to seek help after the traumatic event, whether emotional, physical or social.
“In my experience, the typical response to grief and trauma from losing a loved one is to internalize their pain, stop exercising and isolate from other social activities, which is the exact opposite of what should be done,” he told Fox News Digital.
“If these practices of isolation, sedation and internalization continue chronically, it will have negative effects on any individual in both the mid and long term.”
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Health
Switching from cigarettes to vapes linked to higher risk of major eye diseases, large study finds
US cigarette smoking drops to record low, vaping and nicotine pouch use surges
Fox News medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel discusses a New England Journal of Medicine study reporting US adult cigarette smoking rates dropped to a record low of 9.9% in 2024. Siegel warns about the addictive nature of vaping and nicotine pouches, which contain high levels of nicotine. He expresses concern over potential GI tract and heart issues, stressing social media’s role in promoting these products to younger generations.
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Switching from cigarettes to electronic vapes is often seen as a healthier move, but a massive nationwide study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology suggests that smokeless alternatives could increase the risk of serious eye diseases compared to quitting nicotine altogether.
Researchers from the Korea University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, analyzed health data from a group of 179,273 adults through the Korean National Health Insurance Service, according to a press release.
All participants had smoked traditional cigarettes between 2011 and 2012 and then quit smoking by 2018 or 2019, they reported.
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To ensure a fair comparison, the researchers paired up participants who shared similar backgrounds, including their age, gender, medical history, existing health conditions and general lifestyle habits.
Switching from cigarettes to electronic vapes is often seen as a healthier move, but a large study suggests it could pose a risk to eye health. (iStock)
This process created a balanced group of 32,316 matched participants, who were divided into two categories: complete quitters who stopped using all nicotine products and those who transitioned to smokeless nicotine products, such as vapes.
The researchers followed the participants for an average of 4.6 years to determine whether they developed eye conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and focus-related eyesight disorders.
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Over the tracking period, the group experienced a total of 6,328 major eye disease events. People who quit nicotine entirely had the lowest disease rate in the study, at 41.1 cases per 1,000 person-years (a measure that accounts for both the number of people in the study and how long they were followed).
In comparison, that rate rose to 44 cases for individuals who had switched over to smokeless alternatives like vapes.
The people included in the study were divided into two main categories: complete quitters who stopped using all nicotine products, and switchers who transitioned to smokeless tobacco or nicotine products, like vapes. (iStock)
Ultimately, the data showed that switching to alternative nicotine products carried a steady 7% increased risk of serious eye diseases compared to quitting nicotine completely.
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Most notably, those who switched faced a 24% higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, a condition that damages the blood vessels in the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.
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Additionally, those who ditched cigarettes for vapes had a 7% higher risk of developing refractive and accommodation disorders, which affect the eye’s ability to focus clearly.
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“These findings challenge the assumption that substituting noncombustible nicotine or tobacco products for conventional cigarettes is visually harmless,” the researchers noted.
“These findings challenge the assumption that substituting noncombustible nicotine or tobacco products for conventional cigarettes is visually harmless,” the researchers noted. (iStock)
The authors did point out a few limitations of the research. Because this was a study looking back at health insurance data, it cannot definitively prove that vaping directly causes eye damage.
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Additionally, the study relied on people filling out questionnaires about their own smoking and vaping habits, which can sometimes lead to underreporting or simple memory errors.
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Still, the researchers concluded the findings suggest that replacing cigarettes with alternative nicotine products may not eliminate the risk of certain eye diseases.
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