Common psychosocial stressors experienced by women during midlife may lead to a higher risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD), new research suggests.
The population study included 800 women from Sweden who were first examined in 1968 and then followed up periodically for 38 years.
Results showed that the number of stressors, such as workplace problems, serious illness, divorce, and widowhood, experienced at baseline was associated with a 21% higher risk of developing AD and a 15% higher risk of developing dementia during the follow-up period. It was also associated with significantly increased later-life distress.
The findings show that accumulated stress from common events "may have severe and long-standing physiological and psychological consequences," write Lena Johansson, PhD, RN, from the Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology Unit at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at Gothenburg University in Mölndal, Sweden, and colleagues.
They add that these physiologic consequences can include adverse reactions in the central nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune systems.
However, the investigators point out that more studies are now needed for replication and to investigate whether interventions such as stress management and behavioral therapy should be started in patients who are experiencing these stressors.
The study was published online September 30 in BMJ Open.
Biological Response
