RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: this study aimed to evaluate physical and psychological stress in a group of italian caregivers. METHODS: 20 subjects were enrolled in the study and divided into 2 groups: 10 healthy controls and 10 caregivers. Every subject underwent an cognitive, clinical and instrumental assessment. RESULTS: the statistical analysis showed an increased presence of pathological alterations in caregivers group such as decreased ejection fraction, cognitive impairment and depressed mood. CONCLUSIONS: the study shows the figure of a elderly caregiver, predominantly women, who spend many hours in patient care. The caregiver-type takes about four drugs a day and is not involved in screening programs offered by the health service for his age group. Results a high risk of social isolation, emotional fragility and an increased risk of cardiovascular events and cognitive impairment.
Assuntos
Cuidadores/psicologia , Transtornos Cognitivos/etiologia , Depressão/etiologia , Estresse Psicológico/etiologia , Idoso , Doenças Cardiovasculares/etiologia , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Transtornos Cognitivos/epidemiologia , Depressão/epidemiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Itália/epidemiologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Projetos Piloto , Isolamento Social/psicologia , Estresse Psicológico/epidemiologia , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
Vascular depression in the elderly. Does inflammation play a role?Depression is the most common comorbidity in the elderly, and it is a major determinant of disability. The late-onset depression in highly associated to cardiovascular disease. Depressive symptoms may follow vascular brain damage, especially when mood regulating areas are affected. However depression is strongly associated to vascular disease even when there is no manifest brain damage. Recently great attention has been given to chronic inflammation, both related to depression and vascular disease. Both experimental and clinical evidence shows that a rise in the concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and glucocorticoids in depressed patients is associated with defect in serotonergic function. Chronic inflammation may underlie many forms of depression associated with vascular disease and metabolic syndrome. The importance of the inflammation hypothesis of depression lies is that psychotropic drugs may have central anti-inflammatory action, and that new generation of central anti-inflammatory drugs may be useful in depression treatment.
