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Relationship between cellular aging, perceived stress, and cardiometabolic disease risk in Black family caregivers of persons with dementia
Jordan Watson, Emily Buchi, Melinda Kay Higgins, Glenna S. Brewster, Antoine R Trammell, Christopher H Herring, Whitney Wharton, REBECCA A. GARY et al.. Alzheimer s & Dementia, 2025-07-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Shorter telomeres were linked to stress, poor sleep, inflammation, and cardiometabolic markers. Perceived stress was associated with negative coping strategies, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. More research is needed to uncover mechanisms linking caregiver stress to cardiovascular health, guiding tailored interventions to reduce stress and improve cardiovascular health in Black caregivers of persons with ADRD. HIGHLIGHTS: Chronic stress in Black caregivers: Chronic caregiving stress was linked to accelerated cellular aging, inflammation, and poor cardiometabolic health. Perceived stress associations: Higher perceived stress was associated with negative coping strategies, poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and reduced telomere length. Telomere length and cardiometabolic risk: Shorter telomere length was significantly associated with elevated cardiometabolic risk markers, including insulin resistance and increased blood pressure. Need for interventions: Findings emphasize the importance of culturally tailored interventions aimed at reducing stress and mitigating health risks in Black caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer's disease.
Key findings
- Shorter telomeres were linked to stress, poor sleep, inflammation, and cardiometabolic markers.
- Perceived stress was associated with negative coping strategies, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.
- More research is needed to uncover mechanisms linking caregiver stress to cardiovascular health, guiding tailored interventions to reduce stress and improve cardiovascular health in Black caregivers of persons with ADRD.
- HIGHLIGHTS: Chronic stress in Black caregivers: Chronic caregiving stress was linked to accelerated cellular aging, inflammation, and poor cardiometabolic health.
- Perceived stress associations: Higher perceived stress was associated with negative coping strategies, poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and reduced telomere length.
Why it matters
Among Black family caregivers of people with dementia, greater perceived stress was tied to shorter telomeres and to markers of cardiometabolic risk. The authors state more research is needed to uncover the mechanisms, so no intervention or prevention effect is shown.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 41/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer s & Dementia) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 3 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Brittany Butts: h-index 17 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Emory University: institution h-index 1,360 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40709503) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 41 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Watson, J., Buchi, E., Higgins, M. K., Brewster, G. S., Trammell, A. R., Herring, C. H., et al. (2025). Relationship between cellular aging, perceived stress, and cardiometabolic disease risk in Black family caregivers of persons with dementia. Alzheimer s & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70518
Vancouver
Watson J, Buchi E, Higgins MK, Brewster GS, Trammell AR, Herring CH, et al. Relationship between cellular aging, perceived stress, and cardiometabolic disease risk in Black family caregivers of persons with dementia. Alzheimer s & Dementia. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz.70518. PMID: 40709503.
BibTeX
@article{watson2025-40709503,
author = {Watson, Jordan and Buchi, Emily and Higgins, Melinda Kay and Brewster, Glenna S. and Trammell, Antoine R and Herring, Christopher H and Wharton, Whitney and REBECCA A., G. A. R. Y. and others},
title = {{Relationship between cellular aging, perceived stress, and cardiometabolic disease risk in Black family caregivers of persons with dementia}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/alz.70518},
pmid = {40709503},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70518}
}
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