Factors Involved in Glucose Metabolism in Community-Dwelling Elderly Caregivers and Dementia Patients

Background: Caregivers of dementia patients are at higher risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) than non-caregivers, and diastolic blood pressure of caregivers is reportedly associated with the frequency of disruptive behaviors in dementia patients. Factors related to the higher risk of CHD in caregivers include the impact of stress on the autonomic nervous system and glucose metabolism, as well as poor blood pressure control. Elevated HbA1c levels have been reported to correlate with the likelihood of developing hyperglycemia under stress. Thus, identifying caregivers’ psychological stressors may help control elevated glucose metabolism. The present study aimed to identify factors that influence the levels of HbA1c, an important stress-related health indicator, in caregivers. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed the association between HbA1c and hallucinatory symptoms (a peripheral symptom of dementia patients). Subjects were caregivers who provided care at home (hereafter, “caregivers”) and their care recipients with dementia (hereafter, “patients”). Results: Factors significantly associated with caregiver HbA1c were patient sex (OR: 5.423, P = 0.013, 95%CI: 1.435, 20.500), patient age (OR: 0.894, P = 0.049, 95%CI: 0.800, 1.000), and patient hallucinatory symptoms (OR: 0.635, P = 0.070, 95%CI: 0.388, 1.037). Discussion: The proportion of spousal caregivers tended to be higher than other types of caregivers. Caregivers likely felt more difficulty caring for their loved ones and had more anxiety and stress based on their sex. As dementia patients aged, caregivers may have acquired coping skills not only to address physical caregiving but also psychological symptoms associated with dementia. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that monitoring biochemical data is important for understanding the physical condition of and preventing diabetes and cardiovascular disease in caregivers, and highlight the importance of caregivers being aware of their own stress from an early stage.