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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.

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."

The researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving.

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