title: Consumption of Drugs and Nonpharmacological Therapies in Caregivers of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease: A Case-Control Study in Madrid.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dementia is a neurodegenerative disease whose prevalence is rising, and the need for assistance to patients becomes indispensable. The different types of dementia and their treatments have been widely studied; however, the health status of caregivers also requires our attention.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our research was to evaluate whether caregivers of patients with dementia consume more medications than the general population, indicating underlying pathologies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 91 caregivers of dementia patients were interviewed and their answers were compared with those from a control group of 48 people, taking into account demographic data, characteristics of patients and caregivers, pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments and burden.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Caregivers showed a significantly higher consumption of anxiolytics, antidepressants and antiplatelets (22.3, 13.2 and 11%, respectively) than the control group (14.6, 0 and 0%, respectively). Moreover, 45.1% of the caregivers used nonpharmacological therapies compared with 6.2% of the control group. There was a tendency to take more medications in those caregivers suffering from burden and those who had to take care of patients with behavioral changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Caregivers of dementia patients need more pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapies. They are a risk group that needs better care from the health system.
authors.affiliation: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martín-García
authors.affiliation: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martín-Avila
authors.affiliation: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: María De
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: la Rubia-Marcos
authors.affiliation: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maroto-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Celia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ortega-Angulo
authors.affiliation: Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa (IP), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: María Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Carreras Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology Service, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Instituto Teófilo Hernando, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa (IP), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abad Santos
authors.affiliation: Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa (IP), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana Beatriz
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Gago Veiga
keywords: Burden; Caregivers; Dementia; Treatment