Leisure activities lower blood pressure in Alzheimer's caregivers
Greater engagement in pleasant leisure activities was associated with lowered caregivers' blood pressure over time," according to the report by Brent T. Mausbach, PhD, of University of California San Diego and colleagues. "Participation in pleasant leisure activities may have cardiovascular benefits for Alzheimer's caregivers." The study included 126 caregivers enrolled in the UCSD Alzheimer's Caregiver Study, a follow-up study evaluating associations between stress, coping, and cardiovascular risk in Alzheimer's caregivers. The caregivers were 89 women and 37 men, average age 74 years, providing in-home care for a spouse with Alzheimer's disease. As part of annual interviews over five years, the caregivers provided information on how often they engaged in various pleasant leisure activities. These ratings were analyzed for association with blood pressure over time, with adjustment for demographic and health factors. The caregivers reported hi...