Caregiving burden and distress in family caregivers with cardiovascular conditions
In a secondary analysis of national survey data, family and unpaid caregivers with cardiovascular conditions who reported more negative emotion, sleep problems and physical limitations also reported more burden or distress; positive emotion was linked to less. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The study was a secondary analysis of 2024–2025 national survey data including 792 community-dwelling older adults and their caregivers with cardiovascular conditions. [1]
Higher caregiver burden was linked to female gender, younger age, leg strength and low energy limitations, sleep disruptions, negative emotion and longer caregiving hours, while positive emotion was protective. [1]
Higher psychological distress was associated with breathing problems, difficulty returning to sleep, negative emotion, higher care support and greater burden; the authors suggest support may be insufficient. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Secondary analysis of national survey data (abstract)
- Population / context
- 792 community-dwelling older adults and their family and unpaid caregivers with cardiovascular conditions
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- August 25, 2026
Survey of caregivers with cardiovascular conditions
This was a secondary analysis of the 2024–2025 National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving. It included 792 community-dwelling older adults and their caregivers who had cardiovascular conditions. The study examined which factors were associated with caregiving burden and with psychological distress in these caregivers.
Supporting source [1]
Burden linked to emotion, sleep and care hours
In the regression on caregiver burden, higher burden was linked to female gender, younger age, limitations in leg strength and low energy, sleep disruptions, greater negative emotion and longer caregiving hours. Higher positive emotion was protective. These are associations, not evidence that any factor causes burden.
Supporting source [1]
Distress and the role of care support
Higher psychological distress was associated with caregiver breathing problems, difficulty returning to sleep, negative emotion, higher care support and greater caregiving burden, while positive emotion was protective. The authors note that the link between care support and distress suggests support may be insufficient. They suggest interventions targeting emotional well-being, sleep and functional limitations may help reduce distress.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
This explainer is based only on the abstract; the full text was not reviewed. The design is a secondary analysis of survey data, so the reported links are associations and cannot show causation. The abstract does not report follow-up, effect sizes or how burden and distress were measured.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Oh KM, Song Y. · europepmc.org · August 25, 2026