Skip to main content

Caregiving Linked to Lower Mortality in Postmenopausal Women

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Nov 10, 2023.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Nov. 9, 2023 -- Caregiving is associated with lower mortality among postmenopausal women, according to a study published online Nov. 8 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Prachi P. Chavan, Ph.D., from the University at Buffalo-SUNY in New York, and colleagues examined the association of caregiving with mortality in a cohort of 158,987 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years at enrollment into the Women's Health Initiative. Mortality was ascertained through March 2019.

Overall, 40.7 percent of the women self-identified as caregivers at baseline (1993 to 1998). The researchers found that during a mean follow-up of 17.5 years, caregivers had significantly lower all-cause mortality than noncaregivers (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio, 0.91). No difference was seen in the inverse association between caregiving and all-cause mortality according to caregiving frequency or when stratified by age, race-ethnicity, depressive symptoms, optimism, or living status. There was an inverse association observed for caregiving with cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality.

"This study adds to the limited existing literature on mortality outcomes in female caregivers and supports the concept that informal caregiving may be associated with longevity," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted November 2023

Read this next

BMI Cutoff of 30 for Obesity May Be Too High for Middle-Aged, Older Adults

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- The optimal body mass index (BMI) cutoff point appears to be 27 kg/m2 for detecting obesity in middle-aged and older adults, according to a study presented...

Emergency Inguinal Hernia Surgery Rates Increased With Lower Country Income

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- For patients undergoing inguinal hernia surgery, emergency surgery rates increase from high- to low-income countries, according to a study published online...

More Physical Activity Tied to Higher Odds of Hot Flashes

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- Increases in physical activity increase the odds of menopause-related hot flashes, according to a study published online May 28 in Menopause. Sarah...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.