Grief in the pandemic: the risk to the heart, measured

Losing someone close increases the risk of heart disease, and this effect was greater during the COVID-19 pandemic. That is what a study published in April 2026 in JAMA Network Open shows, with data from more than 5 million adults in Sweden. The authors suggest that interrupted farewells, less social support and delays in psychological care may have worsened the weight of the loss.

If the pain of grief feels too heavy, CVV (Brazil's emotional support service) answers free of charge, 24 hours a day, at 188.

What happened

The researchers compared two periods: before the pandemic, in 2018 and 2019, and during the health crisis, in 2020 and 2021. In both, those who lost a partner, child, father, mother or sibling were more likely to develop problems such as heart attack, stroke and heart failure. According to Veja's report of April 28, 2026:

• the death of a partner raised cardiovascular risk by 30% before the pandemic and by 46% during it;
• the loss of a sibling, by 16% before and 23% during;
• the death of a child, by 25% before and 28% during;
• the loss of a father or mother, by about 32% before and 34% during.

The risk peaks right after the loss, especially in the first week, and remains elevated over the following three months. The authors cite limitations: mild cases may have been left out, and factors such as smoking and obesity could not be taken into account.

Another study, published in October 2025 in the journal Frontiers in Public Health and reported by Agência Einstein in IstoÉ, followed 1,735 bereaved people in Denmark for ten years. About 6% followed a trajectory of intense, persistent grief, and this group used more health services and psychiatric medication and had higher mortality over the decade.

Why it matters

Grief is not a disease, and most people get through loss with time and support. But the studies are a reminder that it affects the whole body, and that some of the bereaved need follow-up. Psychiatrists call prolonged grief disorder the intense suffering that lasts more than a year and impairs daily life.

The pandemic data also say something about Brazil, which lost hundreds of thousands of people to COVID-19 and lived through the same restrictions on wakes and farewells. Many families carry grief that could not be lived the way grief is lived. Caring for those left behind is part of public health, including in the first weeks, when the risk to the heart is highest.

In Bairo's view

Bairo Leandro Gonzalez Martinez speaks of the pain of loss as one of the pains that do not show up in a test. In his reading, those who have lost someone need, above all, presence: someone who asks how they are, and who notices when the sadness has stopped moving. The pages on pain, faith and reconnection address this in grief and faith, and when to seek professional help shows the signs that it is time to ask for help.

For Bairo, technology can help notice in time, as long as it does not replace human care. At Hospital Triage, the proposal of daily follow-up with a clinical assistant serves this purpose: to notice when something changes and call a professional, who validates and decides. At Xperienc Global Labs, the clinical second opinion broadens access to specialists, including those in other countries.

Where this meets the ecosystem

Hospital Triage provides daily questions in simple language and, at any sign of risk, a fixed rule that stops the conversation and shows 192 for emergencies and CVV 188 for those who need to talk. The system is at the prototype stage and does not replace professional follow-up. It was created with CLAIN, the ecosystem's AI agent orchestrator.

Sources

• Yang F, Li S, Barker MM, Li H et al., "Bereavement and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic", JAMA Network Open, Apr. 2026: PubMed 42030045
• Veja, "O que o luto pode fazer com o coração e o que a pandemia de covid-19 tem a ver com isso" (What grief can do to the heart and what the COVID-19 pandemic has to do with it), 4/28/2026: veja.abril.com.br
• IstoÉ (Agência Einstein), "Luto persistente afeta a saúde mental e eleva o risco de mortalidade" (Persistent grief affects mental health and raises the risk of mortality), 11/18/2025: istoe.com.br

Read also

• Grief and faith
• How to take care of your mental health after a loss
• Yellow September 2026: listening is being present