Midlife Stress can Increase Dementia Risk in Older Women

Here is one reason to try and keep mid-life crisis at bay; researchers have found that mid-life stress can lead to dementia later in life.

The study was based on data from 800 women in Sweden who were tracked for over 40 years. All the women underwent a series of tests at various stages of their lives. The experts tested their psychological states during stressful times such as divorce, death and economic instability.

It was observed that the more stressed a middle-aged woman was, the higher were her chances of developing dementia.

According to the researchers, stress hormones could be blamed for the heightened dementia risk in these women. These hormones cause many physiological changes in the body that can affect long-term health.

This isn't the first study that shows a link between stress and dementia. A recent research had found that stress hormone corticosteroid could trigger the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The body releases corticosteroid to combat stress.

Everybody goes through stressful situations and research has shown that some people are wired to handle it better than others. A related study conducted by researchers at Penn state had found that a person's reaction to stress affects health more than the situation itself.

"We know that the risk factors for dementia are complex and our age, genetics and environment may all play a role. Current evidence suggests the best ways to reduce the risk of dementia are to eat a balanced diet, take regular exercise, not smoke, and keep blood pressure and cholesterol in check," Dr Simon Ridley, of Alzheimer's Research UK.

The present study is published in the journal BMJ Open.