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Women: correlation between stress and Alzheimer's incidence

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Women: correlation between stress and Alzheimer's incidence

PantherMedia

Memory

Statistics show that Alzheimer's disease affects women more often. Until now, the causes have not been known, but recent research suggests that stress may influence the condition. Researchers looked at the link between it and long-term cognitive decline associated with the disease.

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Table of contents:

  1. The impact of age
  2. Stress also makes a difference
  3. How to curb the process of dementia?

This progressive condition, which affects millions of people worldwide, has no proven cause of the disease, no treatment, let alone a cure. What is certain and proven so far is that the disease affects women more often than men.

The impact of age

Previous studies have shown that age is a significant factor in increasing the risk of contracting the disease. The vast majority of the Alzheimer's population is aged 65 and over. Importantly, the condition is not a natural part of the ageing process, and exceeding a given age is not associated with the disease. Researchers have now decided to look at the link between stress and the long-term cognitive decline associated with the disease.

Stress also matters

To prove the thesis that stressful events affect the disease, the researchers conducted a study that was based on four interviews of all participants - in 1982, between 1993-1996 and in 2003-2004.

After analysing the responses, the researchers found a link between stressful life events in middle age and deterioration in memory and word recognition. Women who had experienced at least one traumatic life experience remembered one less word on the 4th visit than on the 3rd.

Stressful life events did not cause a decline at the same level. According to the scientists, this is because chronic stress can have a greater impact on brain function than short-term trauma.

Alzheimer's disease, Stress, Stress in women

Correlation between stress and Alzheimer's disease, photo: panthermedia

- The normal stress response causes a temporary increase in stress hormones such as cortisol, and once this is over, levels return to baseline and recovery occurs, says Dr Cynthia Munro, professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences.

How to curb the process of dementia?

It is an almost impossible task to inhibitstress, but it may be possible to change the body's response when anxiety is experienced. Drugs that can change the way the brain copes with stressful events are in the development stage. Combining them with known stress reduction techniques may be helpful as people, especially women, age.

- With repeated stress or with increased sensitivity to it, the body develops an increased and sustained hormonal response. It then needs more time to recover fully. We know that if stress hormone levels increase and remain high, it is not good for the brain , adds Munro.

Further research will need to address the question of whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship between stress and cognitive decline. If so, changing the body's response to stress may be even more necessary and crucial in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.