Many factors can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s, including age, family history, and genetic makeup. Now, new research suggests that stress, a marker for psychological disorders, also adds to the list of triggers.
Psychological factors affect risk of Alzheimer’s
According to the new work, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease , psychological factors, and psychological distress, in particular, can increase the likelihood of developing dementia.
The researchers, led by Sabrina Islamoska, from the Department of Public Health at the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), set out to investigate the possibility of a link between vital exhaustion and Alzheimer’s disease.
Vital exhaustion describes “a mental state of psychological distress” that manifests itself as irritability, fatigue, and a feeling of demoralization.
As the researchers explain, this exhaustion or stress can be a reaction to “unsolvable problems” in life, especially when a person has been exposed to stressors for a long period of time. Therefore, stress can be seen as a sign of psychological distress.
Previous studies have observed that stress can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, premature death, and obesity, among other conditions.
25% more risk
The experts analyzed data from a survey of nearly 7,000 people who took part in the Copenhagen City Heart Study between 1991 and 1994. The participants were 60 years old, on average, at the time. As part of the survey, they were also asked questions about stress.
The researchers followed the participants clinically until the end of 2016. They also examined the participants’ hospital records and prescription and mortality records for dementia diagnoses.
The study revealed a dose-response link between stress in middle age and the development of Alzheimer’s disease later in life. “For each additional symptom of vital exhaustion, we found that the risk of dementia increased by 2%,” explains Sabrina Islamoska, leader of the study.
“Participants who reported five to nine symptoms had a 25% higher risk of dementia than those without symptoms, while those who reported 10 to 17 symptoms had a 40% higher risk of dementia, compared to those who they had no symptoms, “continues Islamoska.
The authors explain that the results are unlikely to be due to a reverse cause, meaning that dementia is unlikely to cause stress, rather than the other way around.
“We were especially concerned if stress symptoms would be an early sign of dementia,” Islamoska explains. “However, we found an association of the same magnitude, even when separating the reporting of vital exhaustion and dementia diagnoses by up to 20 years.”
Regarding the possible mechanisms that may support the findings, experts point to excessive levels of the stress hormone cortisol and cardiovascular changes as possible culprits.
“Stress can have serious and damaging consequences, not only for our brain health, but also for our overall health ,” says the author.
“Our study indicates that we can go further in preventing dementia by addressing psychological risk factors for dementia,” Islamoska concludes.
Reference: Vital Exhaustion and Incidence of Dementia: Results from the Copenhagen City Heart Study. Islamoska, Sabrinaa; | Ishtiak-Ahmed, Kazia | Hansen, Åse Mariea; | Grynderup, Matias Brødsgaarda | Mortensen, Erik Lykkea; | Garde, Anne Helenea; | Gyntelberg, Finnb | Prescott, Eva Irene Bossanod | Török, Esztera | Waldemar, Gunhilde | Nabe-Nielsen, Kirsten / DOI: 10.3233 / JAD-180478 Journal: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, vol. 67, no. 1, pp. 369-379, 2019
