For caregivers with cardiovascular conditions, poor sleep and emotional distress are linked to greater strain

Family caregivers often put their own health second. For those already living with cardiovascular conditions, caregiving can add to their physical and emotional strain. 

A new study led by Kyeung Mi Oh of George Mason University’s College of Public Health found that both the demands of providing care and caregivers’ own health challenges were associated with how heavily caregiving affected them. 

Published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology, the study examined 792 family and unpaid caregivers with cardiovascular conditions who were caring for older adults living in the community. Researchers assessed both perceived caregiving burden and psychological distress, measured through symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

“Our findings suggest that caregivers’ sleep, physical functioning, emotional well-being, and caregiving demands are important factors associated with caregiving burden and psychological distress,” said Oh, a professor at the School of Nursing. 

Why it matters 

For people managing cardiovascular conditions, these findings raise added concern because poor sleep and psychological distress are themselves linked to cardiovascular risk.  

“Caregivers’ health needs should not be overlooked as they support older family members and loved ones,” Oh said. “Health care providers should ask about caregiving responsibilities and how these demands affect sleep, emotional well-being, and ability to manage their own cardiovascular conditions. Recognizing these challenges can help providers identify caregivers who may need additional assessment and tailored support.” 

More study details and findings 

The researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving. Caregivers reported hypertension (by far the most common condition, affecting 92.3% of caregivers), heart disease, or a previous heart attack. Most caregivers were age 65 or older, 60.9% were women, and nearly half were spouses or partners.  

Key findings included:  

• Caregivers who reported more disrupted sleep, low energy, reduced leg strength, longer caregiving hours, and more negative emotions reported greater caregiving burden.  
• Those with trouble falling back asleep, breathing problems, and more negative emotions reported greater psychological distress.  
• Caregivers’ own health and well-being appeared more closely tied to burden and distress than the health conditions of the person they were caring for. 
• Caregiver burden itself was associated with psychological distress. The authors suggest that the sustained strain of caregiving may be one pathway contributing to symptoms of anxiety and depression.  
•  Unexpectedly, more reported support for the caregiver was associated with greater distress. The researchers caution that this does not mean support causes distress, but suggest that caregivers facing more difficult situations may simply be more likely to seek or receive help. 
• Younger caregivers and women reported greater caregiving burden. 
• More negative emotions were associated with greater burden and distress, while caregivers having more positive emotions were associated with lower levels of both. 

Oh conducted the study with Yeonsu Song of the University of California, Los Angeles.