Key result
Suicide loss was associated with increased risks of hospitalization for CVD (HR 1.343 in men, 1.240 in women) and DM (HR 2.238 in men, 1.786 in women) among family members without prior history.
Why the study?
Does suicide loss increase the risk of hospitalization for cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus in family members?
Cohort (n=13,720)
Does suicide loss increase the risk of hospitalization for cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus in family members?
Effect estimate: HR 1.343 (95% CI 1.001-1.800)
Suicide loss is associated with a significantly increased risk of hospitalization for cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus in family members without a prior history of these conditions.
May warrant monitoring for CVD/DM risks in suicide-bereaved families; leaves open causality and confounding in this observational cohort.
AIMS: The impact of suicide loss on family members' cardiometabolic health has little been evaluated in middle-aged and elderly people. We investigated the effect of suicide loss on risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) in suicide completers' family members using a national representative comparison group. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study subjects were 4253 family members of suicide completers and 9467 non-bereaved family members of individuals who were age and gender matched with the suicide completers in the Republic of Korea. National health insurance data were used to identify medical care utilization during the year before and after a suicide loss. A recurrent-events survival analysis was performed to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) of hospitalizations for CVD, DM, or psychiatric disorders, after adjusting for age, residence, and socioeconomic status. Among subjects without a past history of CVD, DM, or psychiatric disorders, the increased risks of recurrent hospitalizations were observed for CVD [HR 1.343, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.001-1.800 in men; HR 1.240, 95% CI 1.025-1.500 in women] and DM (HR 2.238, 95% CI 1.379-3.362 in men; HR 1.786, 95% CI 1.263-2.527 in women). In subjects with a past history of CVD, DM, or psychiatric disorders, the number of medical care visits decreased after a suicide loss, and suicide completers' family members showed lower rates of hospitalization for CVD and DM than the comparison group. CONCLUSION: Compared with non-bereaved family members, suicide completers' family members without a past history of CVD, DM, or psychiatric disorder showed a high risk of hospitalization for those conditions.
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Cho et al. (2015) conducted a cohort in Suicide bereavement (n=13,720). Suicide loss vs. Non-bereaved family members was evaluated on Hospitalization for cardiovascular disease in men without past history (HR 1.343, 95% CI 1.001-1.800). Suicide loss was associated with increased risks of hospitalization for CVD (HR 1.343 in men, 1.240 in women) and DM (HR 2.238 in men, 1.786 in women) among family members without prior history.
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