From trouble remembering where you parked to forgetting someone’s name; Worrying about your memory is a common fear, especially when you have a lot on your mind.
A study of nearly 25,000 Americans aged 45 and over, published publicly in the medical journal JAMA Network Open, confirms what many of us probably already suspected: stressed people are more likely to experience cognitive decline and memory problems. while concentrating and learning new things.
If you’re a person with a lot of emotional stress and rushing to get your whole family out the door every morning, then you spend the day at work worrying about whether you’ve locked your front door, you know what I mean.
Many of us experience acute stress at some point in our lives, which Yale Medical University defines as “a dramatic physiological and psychological response to a particular event.” This is the fear of the exam, nervousness before the wedding, nervousness before an important meeting or date. This short-term stress is considered one of the least harmful forms of stress and has minimal negative impact on our health.
However, chronic stress is different. According to Yale Medical, it is “a constant feeling of pressure and overwhelm for a long period of time.” These are, for example, constant suffering at work (medical professionals, doctors, social workers and teachers report incredibly high levels of chronic stress, especially women), persistent financial difficulties or long-term illnesses.
Black study participants generally reported higher levels of stress. “Black people report that they are more prone to chronic stressors such as discrimination,” the study authors write.
CNN reports that a previous study found that blacks are about 50 percent more likely to have a stroke than whites, and older blacks are about twice as likely to have some form of dementia.
It has long been known that periods of prolonged stress put a lot of stress on the body and increase the risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease, cancer, hormonal problems, sleep disturbances, and a weak immune system. Stress is also known to lead to unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, excessive drinking, and a sedentary lifestyle, which can lead to problems such as diabetes and obesity.
The pandemic has also pushed many of us into a state of chronic stress (especially if we were initially stressed) due to home schooling, long periods of social isolation, financial insecurity, heightened health anxiety, and a sense of ageless drift.
In January 2022, Nature published an article on how the pandemic ages us and shortens our lives, as well as the role of chronic stress. “Accelerated aging may be caused by several factors, some of which have been highlighted by the pandemic,” writes author Emily Son.
But these new insights into the long-term impact on our cognitive functioning are so profound that dr. Ambar Kulshresta, co-author of the study and assistant professor of preventive medicine and epidemiology at Emory University in Atlanta, caused chronic stress. as another risk factor for dementia (others include family history, lifestyle factors such as poor diet and smoking, high blood pressure, traumatic brain injury). “[Chronic Stress] Not only does this affect your current cognition, but it can also be detrimental in the long run,” he said.
The statistics on dementia are already easy to read. Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are the leading cause of death in the UK. One in three people born in the UK in 2022 will develop dementia in their lifetime, according to Alzheimers Research UK.
There are currently 944,000 people with dementia in the UK (and more than 55 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization) and this number will rise to 1 million by 2030 and 1.6 million by 2050. It is also one of the world’s leading causes of disability and addiction in the elderly.
The relationship between stress and cognitive functioning is a vicious circle. Amy Arnsten, professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine, told CNN. Although he was not involved in the study, Arnsten studied how stress affects the brain.
“These stress signaling pathways are released and quickly disrupt higher cognitive functions in the prefrontal cortex, including things like working memory… the stress response.” In other words, the more chronic stress a person is exposed to, the more their brain tries to cope with chronic stress.
While our brains change as we age (after age 40, the average human brain begins to shrink by about five percent per decade), this should not affect our memory, perception, or concentration. So is our stress level.
“Stress is everywhere,” the doctor said. Kulshreshta, “but there are tools that help us manage and reduce stress. Treatments for dementia are few, expensive, and not readily available. The best way to fight dementia is prevention.”
But how? According to the Global Council on Brain Health, the adage “what’s good for the heart is good for the mind” is true. “Although we are learning more and more that this is an important relationship, most people are not aware of it,” says Christine Yaffe, MD, professor of psychiatry, neurology, and epidemiology at the University of California.
How to deal with it
This means pumping blood regularly, whether it’s running, exercising, taking a brisk walk or dancing around the house. specific to Alzheimer’s disease).
Dr. Gad Marshall, Associate Medical Director of Clinical Trials at Harvard’s Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, recommends 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise three to four times a week.
Exercise at this time also pays off for our memory. Regular exercise improves memory, alertness, and processing speed in healthy young adults compared to non-aerobic exercise such as stretching and toning. Exercise can also help control blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which is helpful since high levels of either or both of these factors are associated with cognitive decline and smoking cessation, including secondhand smoke. This is associated with a 30-50 percent increase in the risk of dementia later in life.
Women, in particular, should watch out for symptoms of chronic stress, as a recent Gallup poll found that women are more likely than men to experience burnout “at work,” a gender gap that has doubled during the pandemic.
This phenomenon is described by twin sisters Emily and Amelia Nagoski in their 2019 book Burnout.
“Women, more than men, are expected to devote all of their attention, body, health, and dreams to serving others,” Emily Nagoski told me in our 2019 talk. “Patriarchy expects women to be submissive in every way. These things require physical effort.”
“Your body, with its self-preservation instinct, somehow knows that the ‘human-giver syndrome’ is slowly killing you,” Burnout’s Part explains. “That’s why you keep trying mindfulness, green smoothies, and the tendency to take care of yourself after yourself.” care trend.
But as the book states, the solution is reassuring to understand. In addition to physical activity (aka “the most effective strategy for breaking the cycle of stress, even if it’s just ups and downs”), there are other pleasant tactics for dealing with chronic stress, such as: For example, hugging someone you love in kiss for 20 seconds or kiss for 6 seconds (studies show this releases oxytocin, a hormone that makes you feel safe and connected), laugh, pet an animal, breathe deeply and slowly, and find creative expression. Much attention is also paid to rest. “If people are doing one thing, give them an extra half hour of sleep a day,” says Emily.
Protect your brain health, one sleep at a time.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.