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A
new study explains how stress hormones during periods of grief change as we
age, putting seniors who are grieving at greater risk. Participants were studied while
mourning the loss of a loved one; either a spouse or close family member, in
this research from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, published in
the journal Immunity and Ageing.
Two stress
hormones in particular appear to display different responses to loss as we age;
cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS).
Janet Lord,
Professor at the University of Birmingham, said: “Cortisol is known to suppress
elements of the immune system during times of high stress, so having an
unbalanced ratio of cortisol and DHEAS is going to affect how able we are to
ward off illness and infection when grieving.”
Dr. Anna Phillips
from the University of Birmingham noted, “The changing ratio is something we
need to learn much more about, and need to test whether altering that balance
artificially could be a short-term help at times of stress. However, there is,
quite simply, no substitute for a strong support network of family and friends
to help manage the risks during a period of grieving.”
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