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Caregiver Distress and Coronary Artery Disease: Prevalence, Risk, Outcomes, and Management

  • Psychological Aspects of Cardiovascular Diseases (IM Kronish, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Caregivers of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) are integral to the health care system and contribute substantially to patients’ management. The purpose of this review is to provide a narrative synthesis of existing research on caregiving for patients who experienced an acute coronary syndrome (MI/unstable angina) and/or coronary revascularization (PCI/CABG).

Recent Findings

Thirty-one articles are included in this review. Overall, caregiver distress is low to moderate, ranging from 6 to 67% of caregivers, and seems to dissipate over time for most caregivers. Interventions have demonstrated success in reducing the distress of caregivers of patients with CAD. Due to the heterogeneity in study samples, measurements used, and timing of assessments and programming, these results are far from definitive.

Summary

Although evidence is accumulating, further advancement in caregiving science and clinical care is required to adequately understand and respond to the needs of caregivers throughout the patient’s illness trajectory.

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  1. Division of Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, 40 Ruskin Street, Ottawa, ON, K1Y4W7, Canada

    Karen Bouchard, Michael Dans, Gloria Higdon, Bonnie Quinlan & Heather Tulloch

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  1. Karen Bouchard
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Correspondence to Heather Tulloch.

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“For me, it’s been a full-time job…I managed fine for three months and then I realized I wasn’t even breathing. So, I get short tempered, intense, and stressed.” - Spousal caregiver at a cardiac care center.

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Bouchard, K., Dans, M., Higdon, G. et al. Caregiver Distress and Coronary Artery Disease: Prevalence, Risk, Outcomes, and Management. Curr Cardiol Rep 24, 2081–2096 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-022-01810-5

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