Caregiving intensity and duration, cardiovascular disease, and race/ ethnicity in family caregivers of persons with dementia

We investigated if caregiving intensity and duration affected cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks and diagnosis and whether the relationship differed by race and ethnicity in family caregivers (FCGs) of persons with dementia. We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2015-2020 CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data using a logistic regression analysis. A total of 6132 dementia FCGs were included. We found that the more time FCGs spent providing care per week (intensity) or over time (duration), the more likely they reported CVD risks and diagnosis. However, the associations between caregiving intensity and CVD risks and diagnosis did not differ by race and ethnicity, nor did the associations between caregiving duration and the outcomes. These findings suggest future studies should be conducted to develop preventive strategies for FCGs' cardiovascular health. Further work is needed to identify the impact of race and ethnicity on the relationship between caregiving conditions and CVD with larger samples of racial and ethnic minorities. (c) 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.