title: Health-related quality of life in caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Informal caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have a poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL). HRQOL is an increasingly common user-focused outcome measure. We have evaluated HRQOL longitudinally in caregivers of AD patients at baseline and at 12 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-seven patients diagnosed with AD according to the NINCDS-ADRDA (National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke, and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association) and their 97 respective primary caregivers were included in the study. We analysed the following data at the baseline visit: sociodemographic data of both patients and carers, patients' clinical variables, and data related to the healthcare provided to patients by carers. HRQOL of caregivers was measured with the SF-36 questionnaire at baseline and 12 months later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 12 months, primary caregivers scored lower in the 8 subscales of the SF-36 questionnaire; differences were statistically significant in all dimensions except for 'physical function' and 'social function'. Baseline scores in our sample were lower than those of the general population. 'Vitality' is the dimension that presented the lowest scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HRQOL in caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease deteriorates over time and is poorer than that of the age- and sex-matched general population.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Demencias, Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Neurociencias, Málaga, España. Electronic address: franciscoj.garzon.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Garzón-Maldonado
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Salud Pública y Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, Málaga, España.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez-Bedmar
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, España; Centro de Investigaciones Médico Sanitarias (CIMES), Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, España; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, España.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: García-Casares
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Neurociencias, Málaga, España.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pérez-Errázquin
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Neurociencias, Málaga, España.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gallardo-Tur
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Málaga, España.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Martínez-Valle Torres
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000451:nursing; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Calidad de vida relacionada con la salud; Cuestionario; Cuidador informal; Dementia Unit; Enfermedad de Alzheimer; Health-related quality of life; Informal caregiver; Questionnaire; SF-36; Unidad de Demencias