Giving bereaved patients a low dose of beta blocker and aspirin could reduce their raised risk of an MI in the months following the death of a loved one, Sydney researchers say.

Those experiencing grief face a raised chance of having an MI and dying, especially those who have lost a spouse or a child.

This heightened risk of mortality is greatest in the six months after a loss, with CVD accounting for up to half of the excess deaths, say the researchers from the University of Sydney, Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney and the Kolling Institute.

Their new findings suggest that giving low-dose daily metoprolol (25mg in the morning) and aspirin (100mg) for six weeks may mitigate these risks and even lower measures of depression and anxiety.