The speculation of a 'broken heart' becomes a neat narrative when the problem is not surprising to an older person with an underlying health problem. In any case, the death of a loved one is a dangerous time for a surviving spouse, says Dr. Nieca Goldberg.
When people are depressed, they may not eat, they may ignore the symptoms of pain, and want to be stoic. They must be stressed and probably not enough rest. All of these can set the stage for life-threatening conditions,