Dr. Peter P. Vitaliano

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  www.alzinfo.org/newsarticle/templates/archivenewstempla - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 11/11/2003    Last Visited: 10/15/2007  

  "As the population ages, caregivers will play an even greater role in society, and interventions that help caregivers maintain their health will not only benefit the care recipients but society as well," says lead author Dr. Peter Vitaliano, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington.With nearly five million Americans today currently suffering from the devastation of Alzheimer's, and many more touched by the disease, the burden of caregiving will escalate in coming years.
  
  A Growing BurdenIn the analysis, female caregivers reported more physical complaints than the men, although the researchers speculate that women may be more aware of health issues and more likely to report them."Men may find it hard to verbalize their feelings," says Dr. Vitaliano, "but avoiding one's feelings may only make things worse.Some men may find it especially difficult to admit they hurt in front of women.Such men my benefit more from all-male support groups."
  
  Dr. Vitaliano also stresses the importance of not becoming isolated and taking time out."Many caregivers think that if they spend time on themselves they are taking away care from their loved ones," he explains."But if they do not look out for number one, who will take care of them and their loved one if they get sick?"
  
  He suggests several additional measures to help minimize the stress of caregiving.
  
  *Eat a nutritious diet, including healthy soups that can be stored and eaten at several meals.Avoid fatty and sugary foods, including many TV dinners.
  
  *Exercise.Regular activity counters stress hormones, says Dr. Vitaliano.It should also help boost immunity and lower the risk of gaining fat and diabetes.
  
  *Take advantage of respite services.Getting help provides a much needed break so that you can continue to enjoy activities you engaged in before becoming a caregiver.It may also provide a buffer against poor health."Denying yourself the pleasant things in life may only exacerbate the distress of caregiving," says Dr. Vitaliano.

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  www.mmorning.com/ArticleC.asp?Article=4508&CategoryID=7 - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/5/2007    Last Visited: 3/5/2007  

  "The study makes sense", said Washington University psychiatry professor Peter Vitaliano.

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  www.rsdsa.org/electronic%20alert%20archive/Stress%20of% - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 8/16/2007    Last Visited: 3/25/2008  

  Peter Vitaliano, a professor of geriatric psychiatry at the University of Washington and an expert on caregiving, said that the chronic stress of caring for someone can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes and a compromised immune system.In severe cases, caregivers can take on the symptoms of the person that they care for, he said.
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  Vitaliano suggests that the physical symptoms are a result of a prolonged and elevated level of stress hormones circulating in the body.He likened exhausted caregivers' stress hormone levels to those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.Caregivers are usually so immersed in their role that they neglect their own care, said Vitaliano.
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  Vitaliano believes that more research should be done to help spread awareness.But Vitaliano isn't sure giving caregiver syndrome the status of an official diagnosis would be a good thing.He argues that if "caregiver syndrome" were listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (a text published by the American Psychiatric Association that defines all mental health disorders) it could stigmatize those that have it."Caregiver stress is directly related to the way our society views the elderly and the people who care for them,"Vitaliano says.Today, caregiving is viewed largely as a burden in this county.
  
  If it were viewed as more of a societal expectation and people were willing to offer more support, fewer caregivers would suffer in isolation, he says.

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  brandywineparents.com/2007_05_01_archive.html - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 10/7/2008    Last Visited: 11/3/2007  

  On a rainy Tuesday evening last month, University of Washington psychiatry professor Peter Vitaliano held court for a capacity crowd.As participants consumed pub fare and microbrews, Vitaliano discussed recent findings on the health impact facing caregivers.More

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  www.blackprwire.com/display-news.asp?id=3482 - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 10/7/2008    Last Visited: 10/12/2007  

  A 2003 study completed by Peter P. Vataliano, Ph.D., of the University of Washington and published in "Psychological Bulletin" compared the physical health of caregivers as demographically matched with non-caregivers considering 11 health categories.According to Vataliano, the chronic stress of caring for someone can lead to a compromised immune system, high blood pressure, diabetes and hypertension.

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  namahatta.org/nh2/en/node/3589 - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/25/2007    Last Visited: 3/25/2007  

  "The study makes sense," said Washington University psychiatry professor Peter Vitaliano.

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  www.naturalstressreliefremedy.com/Stress-Heart-Disease. - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/6/2007    Last Visited: 3/6/2007  

  Peter P. Vitaliano, Ph.D., of the University of Washington, reported that while the exact path connecting chronic stress and heart disease may vary from person to person, there appears to be a general pattern, especially in men.

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  www.agingopportunities.com/breakingnewsarchive.html - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 7/19/2003    Last Visited: 3/10/2004  

  Psychologist Peter P. Vitaliano with the University of Washington and colleagues conducted the study.
  
  They found caregivers had a 23% higher level of stress hormones and a 15% lower level of antibody responses than non-caregivers.
  
  The 23 studies involving 3,072 participants - ages 55 to 75 years - over a 38-year period to compare the physical health of caregivers demographically matched with noncaregivers on 11 health categories - self-reported health, chronic illnesses, physical symptoms, medication use, health service use, functional cellular immunity, antibodies, enumerative immunity, stress hormones, cardiovascular function and metabolic function.
  
  Over time, caregivers' elevated stress hormones can lead to physiological problems such as elevated blood pressure and glucose levels, which can increase their risk for hypertension and diabetes, Vitaliano explained.

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  Alzheimer's Disease | Alzheimer's Caregivers Are At... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 12/6/2005    Last Visited: 6/24/2008  

  Peter Vitaliano, Ph.D., et al. Caregiving and Gingival Symptom Reports: Psychological Mediators.Psychosomatic Medicine Volume 67(6), November 2005.

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  Aultman Health Foundation - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 8/31/2001    Last Visited: 6/13/2002  

  Peter P. Vitaliano, PhD, of the University of Washington, reported that while the exact path connecting chronic stress and heart disease may vary from person to person, there appears to be a general pattern - at least in men.
  
  First, chronic stress is associated with psychological distress; factors such as unsatisfactory social supports and poor coping skills may contribute to the link.The psychological distress is associated with poor health habits, such as insufficient exercise and poor diet, and a number of changes in body composition and metabolism that are well-established risk factors for heart disease.Eventually, these changes in body composition and chemistry - known collectively as the metabolic syndrome - produce heart disease.
  
  Evidence for this model comes from a 30-month study of 152 married, older adults conducted by Vitaliano and his colleagues.Eighty of the subjects were caregivers for spouses with Alzheimer disease; previous studies have shown that such caregivers routinely experience numerous physical, emotional and financial stressors.
  
  "The demands of caregiving, coupled with the biological vulnerabilities of aging, put spouse caregivers at increased risk for [coronary heart disease]," making them an ideal population for studying the relationship between heart disease and chronic stress, Vitaliano explained.The other 72 adults, none of them caregivers, served as a comparison group.
  
  The researchers began by examining each subject for attributes that tend to produce psychological distress, such as low income, high exposure to stressors and insufficient coping skills.At the same time, they assessed each subject's level of psychological distress, including depressive symptoms and sleep problems; obtained a self-rating of exercise and diet habits; and looked for indications of metabolic syndrome, including obesity, high blood pressure, and elevated blood levels of cholesterol, insulin and sugar.The researchers repeated all the evaluations 15 to 18 months later.
  
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  One of their strongest findings, Vitaliano pointed out, is that "in men, the pathway from [psychological] distress to the metabolic syndrome was one of the largest pathways from caregiving to [heart disease]."
  
  His team's findings suggest both a direct, immediate relationship between distress and metabolic syndrome, and an indirect, delayed link where distress promotes poor health habits that, over time, exacerbate metabolic syndrome.
  
  Because hormone replacement therapy may affect many of the factors that predispose a woman to heart disease, the investigators broke the women into two groups: those using the therapy and those not using it.Evidence of a connection between chronic stress and heart disease was less clear in either group of women than it was among the men.However, the findings suggest that two different sequences of events link stress to heart disease in women who do and don't take replacement hormones, and that neither sequence in women is the same as that in men.
  
  This article was prepared by Health & Medicine Week editors from staff and other reports.

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