Why the study?
Does chronic stress from caregiving increase metabolic syndrome levels in individuals with and without coronary heart disease?
Does chronic stress from caregiving increase metabolic syndrome levels in individuals with and without coronary heart disease?
Chronic stress from caregiving is associated with elevated metabolic syndrome levels specifically in individuals with pre-existing coronary heart disease, potentially mediated by poorer health habits.
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Caregiving stress may worsen metabolic syndrome in CHD patients; leaves open causality and effects in non-CHD groups.
Metabolic syndrome levels (MSLs) were compared in caregivers (CGs) of spouses with Alzheimer's disease who had diagnoses of coronary heart disease (CHD; n = 27) with non CGs with CHD diagnoses (n = 18), and CGs (n = 44) to non CGs (n = 52) free of CHD. MSLs were greater for CGs than non CGs, but only in persons with CHD (CHD, B for CG status = -.41; non CHD, B = .12; p < .05) at study entry (Time 1 = T1) and CHD, B = -.32; non CHD, B = .14; p < .05) 15-18 months later (Time 2 = T2). In the CHD group, MSLs were associated with poorer health habits at T1 (r = .39, p < .01), uplifts (r = -.37, p < .01) at T2, and CG status (p < .05) at T1 and T2. Relationships of CG status and MSLs declined in the presence of poor health habits at T1 and uplifts at T2. Poorer health habits and fewer uplifts may be associated with elevated MSLs in CGs with CHD.
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Vitaliano et al. (1998) studied this question.
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