Could Managing Stress Reduce the High Rate of Alzheimers?

Written by Brian Krans | Published on 19 March 2013

A new report from the Alzheimers Association says one in three elderly people die with dementia, but new research from Sweden shows promise in preventing it.

A new report shows that a third of all elderly people die with signs of some form of dementia, highlighting the need for continued treatment before the rate nearly triples in the next 35 years. However, new research into stress-induced Alzheimers shows potential for understanding how living with chronic stress impacts the brain and what scientists can explore for a potential treatment or cure. One in Three Elderly Die With Dementia One in three elderly die with some form of dementia, the Alzheimers Association announced in its annual report Tuesday. While Alzheimers diseasethe most common form of dementiais the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., deaths attributed to it rose 68 percent from 2000-2010. It is the only leading cause of death without a way to slow its progression, and an estimated 5 million Americans currently have it, but that number is predicted to reach 13.8 million by 2050. Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimers Association, said the new report released Tuesday highlights the importance of research to slow the diseases progression and hopefully someday find a cure.

Unfortunately, today there are no Alzheimers survivors. If you have Alzheimer's disease, you either die from it or die with it, he said in the report. Could Chronic Stress Cause Alzheimers? Various kinds of stress have been known to cause a host of problems in the body, including increasing a persons risk for Alzheimers. How it does, however, hasnt been very clear until lately. Researchers at the Umea University in Sweden believe theyve come closer to understanding the mechanism involved where stress increases a persons risk for Alzheimers. In her doctorial thesis, PhD student Sara Bengtsson investigated if elevations of the stress hormone allopregnanolone caused stressed-induced plaques in a persons brain, causing Alzheimers and other forms of dementia. Testing her theory in mice by injecting them with stress hormones and testing their cognitive ability, Bengtsson found that chronic elevation of allopregnanolone accelerated the development of Alzheimers-like plaques in their brains. Allopregnanolone may be an important link in the mechanism behind stress-induced AD, the study concluded, adding more research is needed to fully understand its influence. Bengstsson is scheduled to publicly defend her thesis at Umea University on Friday. What Can You Do? While there is currently no cure or effective treatment to slow the progression of Alzheimers, reducing your daily stress can help lower your risk for numerous deadly conditions, including Alzheimers, heart disease, and possibly even cancer. Explore the links below to learn more about Alzheimers and how you can lower your daily stress levels.

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