Click to View Printer Friendly Version

Text Size:

People who care for loved ones with serious illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease are under a great deal of stress. This kind of "chronic" (or long-term) stress can take a toll on their health.

Older adults who care for spouses with Alzheimer's, for example, are more likely to have heart disease than other older adults. When you're under stress, certain parts of your body, including the lining of your blood vessels, are more likely to become inflamed. Over time, this can boost your odds of developing heart disease. When you're under stress, your blood is also more likely to form clots or "coagulate" and this can also contribute to heart problems, including heart attacks. Studies have found that adults caring for spouses with Alzheimer's have higher levels of two substances in their blood, both of which have been linked to heart disease. One, called cytokine interleukin (IL)-6, boosts inflammation. The other, D-dimer, has been linked with an increased likelihood of blood clot formation.

Many older adults caring for spouses with Alzheimer's disease have poor sleep, which can also contribute to heart disease. Some research suggests that chronic poor sleep may affect inflammation and coagulation the way chronic stress does.

New Research in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

People who care for loved ones with serious illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease are under a great deal of stress. This kind of "chronic" (or long-term) stress can take a toll on their health.

Older adults who care for spouses with Alzheimer's, for example, are more likely to have heart disease than other older adults. When you're under stress, certain parts of your body, including the lining of your blood vessels, are more likely to become inflamed. Over time, this can boost your odds of developing heart disease. When you're under stress, your blood is also more likely to form clots or "coagulate" and this can also contribute to heart problems, including heart attacks. Studies have found that adults caring for spouses with Alzheimer's have higher levels of two substances in their blood, both of which have been linked to heart disease. One, called cytokine interleukin (IL)-6, boosts inflammation. The other, D-dimer, has been linked with an increased likelihood of blood clot formation.

Many older adults caring for spouses with Alzheimer's disease have poor sleep, which can also contribute to heart disease. Some research suggests that chronic poor sleep may affect inflammation and coagulation the way chronic stress does.

What Should I Do?

If you care for a loved one with a serious illness, you may run an increased risk of developing health problems, including heart disease. This may be particularly true if you have poor sleep.

Talk to your healthcare provider about ways you can lower your risk of heart disease, for example, by keeping your weight, blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels under control. For more information on heart disease, visit: http://www.healthinaging.org/agingintheknow/chapters_ch_trial.asp?ch=38.

Let your provider know if you are under a lot of stress. He or she may have suggestions for managing your stress. For more information on stress management, visit: http://www.healthinaging.org/agingintheknow/chapters_ch_trial.asp?ch=3.

You should also talk to your healthcare provider about any problems you may be having getting a good night's sleep. If your provider suspects that you have a serious sleep problem, he or she may send you to a sleep specialist who can offer additional help. For more information on dealing with sleep problems, visit: http://www.healthinaging.org/agingintheknow/chapters_ch_trial.asp?ch=31.

In addition, ask your healthcare provider and your area agency on aging for information about community services that can help make caring for your loved one less stressful. These include caregiver support groups, and community-based services such as adult day care, day hospitals, and home health aide services. Medicare and Medicaid may cover some of these services under certain circumstances. For more information on caregiver support, visit: http://www.healthinaging.org/agingintheknow/chapters_ch_trial.asp?ch=14#Home%20Care.

The summary above is from the full report titled, "Poor Sleep is Associated with Higher Plasma Proinflammatory Cytokine Interleukin-6 and Procoagulant Marker Fibrin D-Dimer in Older Alzheimer Caregivers". It is in the March 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (Volume 54, Issue 3). The report is authored by Roland von Känel, MD; Joel E. Dimsdale, MD; Sonia Ancoli-Israel, PhD; Paul J. Mills, PhD; Thomas L. Patterson, PhD; Christine L. McKibbin, PhD; Christopher Archuleta, MS; and Igor Grant, MD.