Association Between a Family Caregiver's Relationship to Persons With Dementia and Cardiovascular Disease by Race and Ethnicity: A Secondary Analysis of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data.

This article examines the association between family caregivers' (FCGs) relationships to persons with dementia and their cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and conditions, with a focus on how these associations differ by race and ethnicity. Using data from the 2015–2020 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the study found that spouse caregivers exhibited higher risks of diabetes, stroke, angina, and myocardial infarction but lower rates of smoking, heavy drinking, and obesity compared to adult children caregivers. The relationship between caregiving type and certain CVD risk factors, specifically depression and previous smoking, varied significantly across racial and ethnic groups, notably with non-Hispanic Black spouses showing higher depression rates and Hispanic spouses showing higher rates of previous smoking. The findings highlight the need for culturally tailored cardiovascular preventive strategies that consider both caregiving relationships and racial/ethnic diversity among FCGs of persons with dementia.