General information only, not medical, legal, tax, or investment advice. Consult a qualified professional.
Don’t leave someone alone the day after a death
In one line
The 24 hours after a significant death were linked to a much higher rate of heart attack. Keep prescribed medicines going. Chest pressure, breathlessness, or one-sided weakness means 119 or 911.
What it costs
Free. Stay nearby for those days.
What you get
Mostofsky et al. (2012) reported a 21.1-fold higher rate of heart attack in the 24 hours after a significant death (95% CI 13.1–34.1). Carey et al. (2014) found about 2.2 times the heart attacks or strokes in the 30 days after a spouse’s death, among people 60 to 89.
How strong the evidence is
Source
Mostofsky E et al. (2012). Circulation.
Watch-outs
Both are look-backs at population data, so some of these events may have been coming anyway. The direction and the timing agree. The book says to hand the pill box to someone else, skip long drives, and not to drink through it.
Adapted from HowToLiveBetter item 29-1.
Next habitRelated
Best valueIf you lend money, write the amount and the date
How much, when it comes back, both names. Leave it on paper or in a message you can both still open. Memory drifts.
Buckle up, front seat and back
Wearing a seat belt in the front seat cuts the risk of dying in a crash by more than 40%. The back seat counts too.
Face droops, one arm fails, speech slurs. Call now
Ask for a smile, both arms up, and a short sentence. If any of that fails, call 119 in Japan or 911 in the U.S. Don’t drive them yourself.