title: Increased risks of coronary heart disease and stroke among spousal caregivers of cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spousal caregivers of cancer patients suffer psychological and physical burdens that may affect their risk of subsequently developing coronary heart disease and stroke.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cancer patients were identified in the Swedish Cancer Registry, and information on their spouses was retrieved from the Swedish Multi-Generation Register. Follow-up of caregivers was performed from the date of the first diagnosis of cancer in their spouses through 2008. Standardized incidence ratios were calculated for spousal caregivers of cancer patients compared with those without an affected spouse. After the cancer diagnosis in wives, the risks of coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke in husbands were 1.13 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-1.16), 1.24 (95% CI, 1.21-1.27), and 1.25 (95% CI, 1.18-1.32), respectively. The corresponding risks in wives with an affected husband were 1.13 (95% CI, 1.10-1.16), 1.29 (95% CI, 1.26-1.32), and 1.27 (95% CI, 1.19-1.34). The increases were consistent over time and were more pronounced if the spouse was affected by a cancer with a high mortality rate, such as pancreatic and lung cancers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spousal caregivers of cancer patients have increased risks of coronary heart disease and stroke that persist over time. Clinical attention should be paid to spousal caregivers, especially those caring for cancer patients with high mortality rates.
authors.affiliation: Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden. Jianguang.ji@med.lu.se
authors.forename: Jianguang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zöller
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sundquist
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sundquist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D012306:Risk; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology*