Health Highlights: Sept. 15, 2009

Sept. 16 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Broken Heart Increases Heart Attack Risk: Study

A broken heart can be a serious health threat, say Australian researchers who found that people mourning the loss of a loved one have a six times greater risk of suffering a heart attack.

The study of 160 people found that those who'd recently experienced the death of a partner or child were at significantly higher risk of heart problems than those who weren't in mourning, Agence France Presse reported.

"We found higher blood pressure, increased heart rate and changes to the immune system and clotting that would increase the risk of heart attack," said lead researcher Thomas Buckley.

The increased risk, believed to be caused by a sudden increase in stress hormones, was reduced after six months and was gone after two years, AFP reported.

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Most U.S. Doctors Support Public Insurance Option: Poll

A majority of American doctors support inclusion of a "public option" to supplement private health care, according to a survey released Monday by the New England Journal of Medicine.

The poll of 2,130 general physicians, specialists and surgeons found that 62.9 percent favored a government insurance plan option, 27.3 percent supported a private system alone, and 9.6 percent backed a completely government-owned health insurance system, Agence France Presse reported.

"It's clear that the majority of U.S. physicians support both public and private options to expand coverage," said the journal, which noted that between 52 percent and 69 percent of Americans support a supplemental public option.

The survey also found that 58.3 percent of doctors back expansion of Medicare to cover people aged 55 and older. Currently, the program is for those over age 65.