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Repeated stress can lead to an aging of the brain of four years
Stress is generally bad for human health. Researchers have now found that stressful life events can lead to brain aging. For example, factors such as the death of a child cause the relatives' brain to age for at least four years.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine found that stress can lead to massive aging of the human brain. The experts published the results of their study at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in London.
Every person has to endure unpleasant and very stressful situations in his life. Such extreme stress, such as the death of a loved one, can increase the chances of developing dementia in later life. (Image: bramgino / fotolia.com) Researchers are studying 1,300 subjects for their study
For their work, the physicians examined the performance of 1,300 subjects in various memory and thinking tests. The participants were all between 50 and 60 years old. The tests should measure the health of the subject's brain. The study did not consider the risk of dementia and there are many other factors that could play a major role, the scientists speculate.
Inflammation could affect the development of dementia
Although research has failed to establish a direct link between stress and increased risk of dementia, certain effects on brain function are known that could lead to dementia in the longer term, the experts explain. The theory is that stress leads to inflammation, which can increase the likelihood of developing dementia.
This often causes stress?
Stressful experiences in all groups of subjects included educational difficulties, financial insecurity, serious health problems and psychological trauma, explain the physicians. African Americans, according to the researchers in their lives have an increased risk of suffering from the effects of stress. Those affected showed poorer results in memory tests and tended to live in a poorer neighborhood, say the scientists.
Stress in early life affects the risk of dementia
The results of other studies presented at the conference showed that early life and place of residence stress are also factors in determining whether an individual is at an increased risk of developing dementia.
Disadvantaged people need better support
The study of the role of stress was extremely complex, explain the scientists. It is very difficult for an individual to get rid of conditions such as anxiety and depression and these factors also seem to affect the risk of dementia. However, the results also show that more needs to be done to better support people from disadvantaged communities, the researchers emphasize. These people have an increased likelihood of experiencing stressful events in life, the physicians add.
In old age, dementia risk continues to increase
In the UK alone, there are currently about 850,000 people with dementia. This risk mainly affects people over the age of 65 years. At this age, the likelihood of developing the disease increases greatly, the experts explain. However, only 42,000 people with dementia in the UK are younger than 65 years.
The brain is incredibly complicated and difficult to understand and there is evidence that events and experiences in the course of life can affect the brain decades later, the authors conclude. (As)