Widowed persons have been found to have higher mortality rates than married persons in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. In many of these studies, excess mortality has been attributed to deaths from cardiovascular disease. Despite these consistent findings, the lack of detailed data collected prior to widowhood has hampered our ability to understand the mechanisms to explain this effect. Furthermore, an understanding of the mechanisms underlying this effect might help elucidate the apparent gender differences in mortality following widowhood.