title: Evidence of autonomic dysregulation in otherwise healthy cancer caregivers: a possible link with health hazard.
abstract: Caregiving, an important component of cancer patient treatment, may set forth a cascade of stress responses such as sympatho-adrenal activation, immuno-humoral changes and an unhealthy lifestyle, which could be hazardous to caregivers' health. In this observational study, we addressed whether autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation and perception of stress would be altered in a group of 58 health cancer caregivers as compared to 60 controls. We employed non invasive autoregressive spectral analysis of cardiovascular variabilities and ad hoc questionnaires. Caregivers show, in addition to signs of psychological involvement, a clear autonomic imbalance, suggestive of sympathetic predominance at rest and of a reduction of vagal cardiac regulation (overall gain of baroreflex -index alpha- was respectively of 17.5+/-1.5 versus 25.1+/-1.8 msec/mmHg, p<<0.02). These data suggest possible preventive strategies, based on tailored treatments aiming at a betterment of individual autonomic profile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences L Sacco, University of Milano, Milano, Italy. daniela.lucini@ctnv.unimi.it
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lucini
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cannone
authors.forename: Mara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malacarne
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beltrami
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pizzinelli
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piazza
authors.forename: Gaetana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Fede
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pagani
mesh_terms: D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms; D010465:Perception; D011187:Posture; D011788:Quality of Life; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone