Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System researchers conducted a survey and found out that individuals who are exposed to higher levels of stress are twice as likely to experience cognitive impairment.
Cognitive impairment is often a precursor of Alzheimer's Disease. In the study conducted by a partnership of Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System, participants living in a highly stressed environment are more twice more likely to become mildly impaired compared to those who are in low-stress environments.
The results of the study are based on 507 people who opted themselves in the Einstein Aging Study, composed of adults 70 or older from Bronx, New York. Participants undertook a series of neuropsychological tests, clinical evaluations, examinations of medical histories and evaluations of daily activities.
71 were diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, a condition characterized by memory loss.
Senior associate at the neurology department at Einstein, Mindy Katz defines stress, "Perceived stress reflects the daily hassles we all experience, as well as the way we appraise and cope with these events."
Although cognitive impairment is inevitable as people age, there a few things that an individual could do to promote the retardation of the mental effects of aging. "Perceived stress can be altered by mindfulness-based stress reduction, cognitive-behavioral therapies and stress-reducing drugs. These interventions may postpone or even prevent an individual's cognitive decline," Katz continues.
Dr. Richard Lipton, vice-chairperson of Neurology at Einstein and Montefiore, says that people with high stress levels can be cured. "Perception of events is more important than the events themselves in predicting biological consequences and future health."
The study is published in the journal Alzheimer's Disease and Associated Disorders.
