Nicholas Christakis Quotes on Death & Dying (6 Quotes)

It's the disabling of the disease that can harm (the partner). Having a spouse with cancer doesn't really increase my risk of death.

Initially the partner is at increased risk from heart attack, suicide, and accidents. I am shocked my wife is sick and I stop paying attention when driving. And there is an increase in infections.

It seems clear that a person's illness or death can have health consequences for others in his or her social network. This means that efforts to reduce disease, disability, and death can be self-reinforcing, since a decrease in the burden of these events in one person can have a cascading benefit for others. The training and assistance of caregivers can lower costs and also improve the health of patients and caregivers alike.

We showed it's not just death that can give you a broken heart, but illness in your spouse can give you a broken heart and contribute to death.

Spousal illness or death may impose stress on a partner or deprive a partner of social, emotional, economic, or other practical support. When a spouse falls ill or dies, partners may increase harmful behavior, such as drinking. Stress and lack of social support may also adversely affect immunologic measures, so spousal hospitalization may have physiological effects on partners.

It is the disablement and not the lethality of a spouse's illness that can be harmful to you and contribute to your risk of dying.