Article Type : Research Article
Authors : Hirano A, Suzuki Y, Hayashi T and Ina K
Keywords : ZBI; Caregiver burden; Dementia; Cortisol
Background: Stress has adverse effects on the immune system,
cardiovascular system, and neurosecretion. Regular or daily elevation of
cortisol level has been shown to have physical and mental effects. However, few
studies have examined factors that affect blood cortisol as an indicator of
mixed physical and psychological stress in caregivers of dementia patients.
Purposes: This study aimed to identify health factors that
affect cortisol levels in caregivers of dementia patients.
Methods: Caregivers living with dementia patients were
included in this cross-sectional study. To analyze health factors affecting
cortisol levels in caregivers of dementia patients, logistic regression
analysis was performed with cortisol as the dependent variable, and caregiver
age, sex, Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI) score, BMI, and patient MMSE
score as independent variables. This study was approved by the Bioethics Review
Committee of Nagoya University.
Results: Cortisol level was significantly and negatively
correlated with ZBI score (-0.306, P<0.05). ZBI score (OR 0.960: 95% IC
0.924-0.997) showed a significant association with cortisol level.
Discussion: Caregivers in this study may have adapted to the
emotional, physical, and social burdens of their caregiving roles. Caregivers
with chronic stress may not show excessive elevation of cortisol levels due to
some factors.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that caregivers
may have learned to cope with stress through their caregiving experiences.
Future studies should investigate how caregivers can reduce the burden of
caregiving and live with dementia patients with peace of mind.
The adrenal glands react
to stress [1]. The adrenal cortex produces hormones such as cortisol as a
short-term response stress. Chronic cortisol production, however, can lower the
immune system function [2]. Since high levels of cortisol in the blood are
associated with high levels of stress [3], cortisol has been used as a stress
indicator. Chronic stress raises cortisol levels and negatively impacts health
[4]. Extreme levels of stress have negative effects not only on the immune
system, but also on the cardiovascular system and neurosecretion [5]. Daily
increases in cortisol levels have been shown to have negative effects on
physical and mental health.
Studies of caregivers
have reported that cortisol production increases during caregiving [6]. One
study reported that salivary cortisol levels in caregivers of dementia patients
indicated higher stress levels compared to those in non-caregivers [7], and
another study showed that caregiver hair samples contained elevated levels of
cortisol [8]. However, few studies have examined factors that affect blood
cortisol as an indicator of mixed physical and psychological stress caused by
caregiving in caregivers of dementia patients.
The purpose of this study was to identify health
factors that affect cortisol levels in caregivers of dementia patients.
Participants
Participants of this
study were caregivers living with dementia patients. Caregivers with
well-controlled chronic diseases (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia)
were included.
Study design
This study used a
cross-sectional study design to analyze health factors affecting cortisol
levels in caregivers of dementia patients.
Assessment of caregivers
and care recipients
Cortisol is used as an
endocrine indicator of stress response, as it is produced by the adrenal cortex
and its secretion is regulated by the adrenocortical system [9]. Plasma
cortisol levels show large diurnal variation. Since the highest level is
observed in the early morning [10], blood samples were taken from our study
participants in the morning with participants at rest.
The Japanese version of
the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI) was used as an objective scale to
evaluate caregiver burden [11]. Body mass index (BMI) [12] was used as an index
of obesity. We used the MMSE [13], a screening test used worldwide, to evaluate
dementia.
Statistical analysis
Logistic regression
analysis was performed with cortisol as the dependent variable. Cortisol levels
were defined as either high (1) or low (0), with the cutoff set at the median
of 10.75 (1: ?10.75, 0: <10.75). Independent variables included caregiver
age, sex, ZBI score, BMI, and patient MMSE score. P<0.05 was considered
statistically significant.
Ethical considerations
This study was approved
by the Bioethics Review Committee of Nagoya University.
Table 1 shows the
characteristics of caregivers who participated in this study. Most of the
participants had cortisol levels within the reference range. Median ZBI and
MMSE scores were 28 (slightly moderate) and 19 (moderate), respectively.
Table 2 shows the results
of the bivariate correlation matrix between hormone secretion and caregiver
factors. Cortisol was significantly and negatively correlated with ZBI score
(-0.306, P<0.05).
Table 3 shows the results of the binomial logistic stepwise regression analysis with cortisol as the dependent variable. Factors associated with cortisol were extracted as binary variables (0,1), divided into those below and above the median cortisol level. ZBI score (OR 0.960: 95% CI 0.924-0.997) was significantly associated with cortisol, whereas caregiver age, sex, BMI, and patient MMSE score were not.
Table 1: Characteristics of study participants.
Median |
IQR (25-75%) | |
Caregivers |
76 |
72-79 |
Cortisol
(Reference
value: 7.07-19.6 ?g/dL) |
10.8 |
8.9-13.3 |
ZBI
|
28 |
15-40.8 |
Dementia patients | ||
Age (years) |
77 |
73-81.5 |
MMSE |
19 |
15-23.3 |
ZBI:
Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview score, MMSE: Mini Mental State Examination. |
Table 2: Correlation between cortisol and caregiver factors.
|
|
Sex |
Age |
ZBI |
Cortisol |
r |
-0.185 |
0.098 |
-0.306* |
|
P |
0.19 |
0.488 |
0.027 |
r: Spearman's correlation coefficient; P:
P-value, ?p?0.1, *p?0.05, **p?0.01. | ||||
ZBI: Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview. |
In this study, ZBI score
was identified as a health factor associated with cortisol in caregivers of
dementia patients. Cortisol level was negatively correlated with ZBI score.
When an organism is exposed to stress, hormone concentrations in saliva change in
response to change in cortisol concentration in the blood [14]. A previous
study reported that relative to non-caregivers, caregivers showed a greater
increase in plasma cortisol concentration in response to stress [15]. Stress
suggests that we may become accustomed to similar, repeated stressors [16].
Participants in the present study reported moderate caregiver burden,
suggesting that caregivers may have increased tolerance to stress due to
repeated exposure to chronic stressors. In a study that evaluated physiologic
measures such as plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone levels, the severity of
life stress and depression were not found to be associated with changes in
multiple physiological functions [17]. Other studies reported that caregiver
cortisol levels are higher during the waking hours, while smaller increases in
cortisol levels were observed after waking compared to non-caregivers [18].
Interestingly, chronically stressed individuals did not differ from low-stress
individuals in terms of increases in peak cortisol levels during the actual
stressful event [19]. These findings suggest that caregivers with chronic
stress may not show excessive cortisol elevation due to some factors.
In the present study, ZBI score was a significant factor associated with cortisol. Generally, chronic stress increases cortisol secretion [20]. Caregivers may have less of an acute response to repeated stressors, as they are accustomed to stressful situations. Although no previous studies have reported on tolerance to stress in caregivers due to chronic stress exposure, studies of physical stress in sports found that tolerance to stress can lead to temporary decreases in cortisol before they return to baseline levels, suggesting that adaptive changes may occur [21]. Similarly, caregivers in this study may have adapted to emotional, physical, and social burdens of their caregiving roles.
Table 3: Logistic regression analysis with cortisol as the dependent variable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
95%
IC |
|
Dependent variable |
|
Variable (Covariate) |
B |
P |
OR |
Upper
limit |
Lower
limit |
Cortisol |
? |
ZBI score |
-.041 |
.035 |
.960 |
.924 |
.997 |
? |
? |
Variables not in the equation |
Score |
P |
? |
? |
? |
<10.75 = 0 ?10.75
= 1 |
Variable 2 |
Age |
.000 |
.987 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
Sex |
.492 |
.483 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
BMI |
1.520 |
.218 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
Patient MMSE |
.251 |
.617 |
? |
? |
? |
B: Partial regression coefficient, P:
Significance probability, OR: Odds ratio, 95% IC: 95% Confidence interval,
BMI: Body mass index, ZBI: Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview, MMSE: Mini
Mental State Examination. |
Elevated cortisol levels
can reportedly lead to the development of metabolic syndrome [22]. Cortisol
levels were within the normal range in our participants, indicating that they
may not have been overly stressed and may not have affected their BMI.
It is commonly observed that caregivers are
under a lot of stress, and during times of high stress, cortisol secretion is
increased. Therefore, caregivers need to find ways to alleviate stress. Daily
exposure to stress has been found to be predictive of emotional responses to
stress such as depression and anger, but enlisting caregiving help by way of
adult daycare services or the equivalent may reduce some of these emotional
responses [23]. Furthermore, social support has been suggested to mitigate the
effects of caregiver stress and caregiving time on the cortisol arousal
response [24]. Future studies should consider ways to reduce caregiving burden
in caregivers so that they can live with dementia patients with better peace of
mind.
The present study
identified factors that affect cortisol levels in caregivers of dementia
patients. A sense of caregiver burden was found to be associated with cortisol.
Our results suggest that caregivers may have improved tolerance to stress, as
they have developed caregiving methods and skills to cope with stress through
their caregiving experiences. However, appropriate support will be necessary
for caregivers who do not have sufficient experience in caregiving, as there is
likely to be a cortisol response to caregiving stress.
None
We thank the participants
for their cooperation in this study.