STRESS AND DEMENTIA

Experiencing stressful events in midlife makes you more likely to develop dementia later,BBCNews.com reports. (click below to read more)
Swedish researchers recruited 800 middle-aged women ages 38 and up and followed them for nearly 40 years, checking in to see whether they experienced any stressful life events—such as a divorce, the death of a spouse, caring for a sick relative, or unemployment. They found that for every stressful event the women faced in midlife, their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease increased by 20 percent—regardless of how well they appeared to cope with the setbacks. Experts say the findings probably also hold true for men. “This is the best evidence by far to date linking psychosocial stressors with dementia,” says Robert S. Wilson, an Alzheimer’s researcher at Rush University Medical Center. Previous research has suggested that stress hormones could contribute to the buildup of proteins that are found in the brains of people with of dementia. Wilson says the findings suggest that stress reduction techniques should become part of routine health care.