Alzheimer's disease risk could be raised by health problem we all experience

Alzheimer's disease affects around 90,000 people in Scotland.
-Credit: (Image: Getty Images)


Alzheimer's disease affects around 90,000 Scottish people and researchers are still learning about what brings on the debilitating condition.

The NHS states that Alzheimer's disease is thought to be caused by the abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells. This is brought on by a host of mitigating factors, including family history, age, head injuries and cardiovascular disease.

However, researchers previously discovered that a common emotional feeling that many of us encounter may also play a role in Alzheimer's development - stress.

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This connection highlights the importance of understanding how mental health and stress management could play a role in preventing or weaken the impact of Alzheimer's disease on individuals.

A study conducted last year by researchers from the Karolinska institutet in Sweden found that individuals who have been diagnosed with chronic stress or depression are more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease - dementia's most common form.

Studies before have demonstrated a possible association between chronic stress, depression and dementia. Although the study, published in Alzheimer's Research & Therapy, provides new insights into the risk factors for dementia and future preventative measures.

Woman with headache, overwhelmed with stress and anxiety
Chronic stress and depression diagnoses can lead to Alzheimer's disease. -Credit:Getty Images

Researchers analysed health data from 44,447 patients aged 18 to 65 in Stockholm over an eight-year period to track the number of Alzheimer's disease diagnoses.

They emphasised that cases in this age group are uncommon and they highlighted the need for further research to uncover all possible risk factors.

“The risk is still very small and the causality is unknown,” says the study’s last author Axel C. Carlsson, docent at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet. “That said, the finding is important in that it enables us to improve preventative efforts and understand links with the other risk factors for dementia.”

Everyone experiences stress occasionally, as it is a natural reaction to life's challenges. However, it can become debilitating if it persists over an extended period.

The American Psychosocial Association states that chronic stress can affect both physical and mental health, leading to symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure, and a compromised immune system.

The study revealed that the risk of Alzheimer's disease was more than twice as high in patients experiencing chronic stress and in those with depression compared to individuals without either condition.

Additionally, it was four times as high in those diagnosed with both conditions, whilst the risk of developing cognitive impairment was elevated about as much.

A patient is considered to be experiencing chronic stress when they have been under stress without any chance for recovery for at least six months.

“It’s very uncommon for people in this age group to develop dementia, so we need to identify all possible risk factors for the disease,” says Dr Carlsson. “We show here that the diagnosis is more common in people who have suffered chronic stress or depression, but more studies will be required if we’re to demonstrate any causality there.”

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