TY - JOUR
T1 - Evidence of autonomic dysregulation in otherwise healthy cancer caregivers
T2 - A possible link with health hazard
AU - Lucini, Daniela
AU - Cannone, Valentina
AU - Malacarne, Mara
AU - Bruno, Daniela
AU - Beltrami, Silvia
AU - Pizzinelli, Paolo
AU - Piazza, Elena
AU - Fede, Gaetana Di
AU - Pagani, Massimo
PY - 2008/11
Y1 - 2008/11
N2 - Caregiving, an important component of cancer patient treatment, may set forth a cascade of stress responses such as sympatho-adrenal activation, immuno-humoral changes and an unhealthy lifestyle, which could be hazardous to caregivers' health. In this observational study, we addressed whether autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation and perception of stress would be altered in a group of 58 health cancer caregivers as compared to 60 controls. We employed non invasive autoregressive spectral analysis of cardiovascular variabilities and ad hoc questionnaires. Caregivers show, in addition to signs of psychological involvement, a clear autonomic imbalance, suggestive of sympathetic predominance at rest and of a reduction of vagal cardiac regulation (overall gain of baroreflex -index α- was respectively of 17.5 ± 1.5 versus 25.1 ± 1.8 msec/mmHg, p<<0.02). These data suggest possible preventive strategies, based on tailored treatments aiming at a betterment of individual autonomic profile.
AB - Caregiving, an important component of cancer patient treatment, may set forth a cascade of stress responses such as sympatho-adrenal activation, immuno-humoral changes and an unhealthy lifestyle, which could be hazardous to caregivers' health. In this observational study, we addressed whether autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation and perception of stress would be altered in a group of 58 health cancer caregivers as compared to 60 controls. We employed non invasive autoregressive spectral analysis of cardiovascular variabilities and ad hoc questionnaires. Caregivers show, in addition to signs of psychological involvement, a clear autonomic imbalance, suggestive of sympathetic predominance at rest and of a reduction of vagal cardiac regulation (overall gain of baroreflex -index α- was respectively of 17.5 ± 1.5 versus 25.1 ± 1.8 msec/mmHg, p<<0.02). These data suggest possible preventive strategies, based on tailored treatments aiming at a betterment of individual autonomic profile.
KW - Autonomic nervous system
KW - Baroreceptor
KW - Cancer
KW - Caregiving
KW - Risk factors
KW - Stress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=54249145523&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=54249145523&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ejca.2008.08.006
DO - 10.1016/j.ejca.2008.08.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 18804998
AN - SCOPUS:54249145523
SN - 0959-8049
VL - 44
SP - 2437
EP - 2443
JO - European Journal of Cancer
JF - European Journal of Cancer
IS - 16
ER -