title: Relationship between chronic stress and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in elderly Alzheimer's disease caregivers.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Susan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Roepke
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Von Känel
authors.forename: Brent T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Mausbach
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Chattillion
authors.forename: Alexandrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Harmell
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: Joel E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dimsdale
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ancoli-Israel
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Grant
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D017028:Caregivers; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*