Effects of Alzheimer caregiving on allostatic load

This study aimed to determine if Alzheimer caregivers have increased allostatic load compared to non-caregivers. Potential psychological moderators (mastery, depression, and role overload) of the relationship between caregiving status and allostatic load were also explored. Eighty-seven caregivers and 43 non-caregivers underwent biological assessment of allostatic load and psychological assessments. Caregivers had significantly higher allostatic load compared to non-caregivers ( p < .05). Mastery, but not depression or overload, moderated the relationship between caregiving status and allostatic load. In conclusion, allostatic load may represent a link explaining how stress translates to downstream pathology, but more work is necessary to understand the role of psychological factors.

Sleep and biomarkers of atherosclerosis in elderly Alzheimer caregivers and controls

Perturbed sleep might contribute to cardiovascular disease by accelerating atherosclerosis. Sleep is poor in Alzheimer caregivers who are also a group at increased cardiovascular risk.

The relationship between self-efficacy and resting blood pressure in spousal Alzheimer's caregivers

Objective. To examine whether high levels of self-efficacy for problem-focused coping were significantly related to several resting BP measures in spousal Alzheimer's disease caregivers. Design. Cross-sectional. Methods. Participants included 100 older caregivers (mean age = 73.8 ± 8.14 years) providing in home care for a spouse with Alzheimer's disease. All participants completed a 13-item short form of the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale and underwent an in-home assessment where a visiting nurse took the average of three serial BP readings. Multiple regression was used to examine the relationship between self-efficacy and mean arterial pressure (MAP), systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and pulse pressure (PP) after controlling for age, gender, smoking history, body mass index, the care recipient's clinical dementia rating, diabetes, alcohol use, and the use of antihypertensive medications. Results. Overall, high levels of self-efficacy for problem-focused coping were associated with lower MAP, SBP, and PP. Self-efficacy for problem-focused coping was marginally associated with resting DBP, but not significant. In addition, we conducted secondary analyses of the other two self-efficacy scales to explore the relationship between each dimension and MAP. We found that there were no significant relationships found between MAP and self-efficacy for stopping unpleasant thoughts/emotions or self-efficacy for getting social support. Conclusions. The present study adds to the current body of literature by illustrating the possibility that higher self-efficacy can have physiological advantages, perhaps by buffering chronic stress's impact on resting BP. Another contribution of the current study is its attempt to understand the role of each individual component of self-efficacy. These findings invite future research to investigate whether caregivers might experience cardiovascular benefits from interventions aimed at enhancing self-efficacy.

Regular physical activity moderates cardiometabolic risk in Alzheimer's caregivers

Dementia caregivers have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and it is possible that metabolic disturbances contribute to this risk. Regular physical exercise reduces cardiometabolic risk, but caregivers may have less opportunity to engage in such activity. We hypothesized that regular physical activity would moderate cardiometabolic risk in dementia caregivers.

Carotid plaque in Alzheimer caregivers and the role of sympathoadrenal arousal

To test the hypothesis that those who provide care for a spouse diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease would have increased prevalence of carotid artery plaque compared with noncaregiving controls and that prolonged sympathoadrenal arousal to acute stress would relate to this difference. Providing care for a spouse with Alzheimer's disease has been associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, potentially due to the impact of caregiving stress on the atherosclerotic disease process.

Cardiometabolic effects in caregivers of nursing home placement and death of their spouse with Alzheimer's disease

To test the hypothesis that cardiometabolic risk is attenuated when caregivers are relieved of caregiving stress when the caregiving recipient transitions out of the home.

Effect of Alzheimer Caregiving on Circulating Levels of C-Reactive Protein and Other Biomarkers Relevant to Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Longitudinal Study

Providing care to a spouse with Alzheimer's disease (AD) may contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD). The acute phase reactant C-reactive protein (CRP) is a well-established biomarker of an increased CVD risk.

Sleep in spousal Alzheimer caregivers: a longitudinal study with a focus on the effects of major patient transitions on sleep

Findings on sleep disturbances in family dementia caregivers are conflicting. We studied the longitudinal effects of dementia caregiving and major transitions in the caregiving situation on caregivers' sleep and the effect of moderating variables.

Relationship between chronic stress and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in elderly Alzheimer's disease caregivers

The stress associated with providing care for a spouse diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease can have adverse effects on cardiovascular health. One potential explanation is that chronic caregiving stress may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the duration that one has provided care is associated with the degree of atherosclerotic burden, as measured by carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT). One hundred and ten Alzheimer caregivers [mean age 74 ± 8 (SD) years, 69% female] underwent in-home assessment of carotid artery IMT via B-mode ultrasonography. Data regarding medical history, blood pressure, and multiple indicators of caregiving stress were also collected. Multiple regression indicated that duration of care was positively associated with IMT measured in the internal/bifurcation segments of the carotid artery (β = 0.202, p = 0.044) independent of risk factors such as age, gender, body mass index, smoking history, sleep quality, hypertension status, and caregiving stressors. Duration of care was positively associated with IMT in the common carotid artery, but the relationship was not significant. These findings provide more evidence of the link between chronic caregiving stress and cardiovascular disease and indicate that enduring the experience of caregiving over a period of years might be associated with atherosclerotic burden.