Many individuals question if stress is connected to dementia risk, and the press frequently focuses on the subject. Our research team chose to look at the facts about stress and dementia risk during Stress Awareness Month.

What exactly is stress?

When the body is forced to react to a potentially harmful circumstance, stress ensues. A racing heart, perspiration and tight muscles are all symptoms.

These sensations are meant to go away once the threat has passed, although some people may continue to feel worried. Prolonged – or chronic – stress may be extremely harmful to a person's emotional, mental, and physical well-being.

Why has dementia been related to stress?

Stress might be connected to dementia for a variety of reasons. Stress has an influence on human health, which itself is known to have a role in dementia development.

Cortisol, a major hormone released when you're stressed, have been related to memory issues. Stress has also been connected to mental illnesses including depression and anxiety, both of which have been associated with an increased risk of dementia.

Stress tends to have a direct influence on some of the pathways producing dementia in animal models, according to some studies.

However, like with many things in science, determining whether any of these hypotheses are right has proven to be a lengthy and difficult process.

A difficult circumstance

Stress is extremely difficult for researchers to analyze. We all react to stress in various ways, and our capacity to manage it differs considerably from person to person. It's also tough to determine an individual's level of stress.

There are also additional elements that are difficult to distinguish — for example, the influence of anxiety, depression, and lack of sleep, all of which have been linked to an increased risk of dementia. Because of these issues, doing a high-quality investigation into the impact of stress on dementia risk is extremely challenging.

A few research, however, have attempted to unravel this puzzle.

What is the scientific consensus on stress and dementia?

Stress may have a part in dementia development, but it is doubtful to be the only cause of the disease, according to an assessment of the scholarly literature on the subject. There's still a lot to learn about the processes that could underpin any stress-related dementia risk. ​

Long-term stress may have a role in whether someone moves from moderate memory loss (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease, according to a study financed by the Alzheimer's Society. Clive Holmes, the lead researcher, says:

'Researchers are eager to learn more about the immune system's role in the risk of Alzheimer's disease. We wanted to see if the immune system modifications caused by persistent stress were connected to the advancement of cancer.

'Our findings suggest that stress has an impact on the course of moderate cognitive impairment.' Our preliminary (unpublished) data suggest that this may be mediated by a problem with immune system modulation in persons with moderate cognitive impairment, but we're still looking into it.'

Some researchers studying long-term stress and dementia have concentrated on persons suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (PTSD). This is a diagnosable condition that emerges after a life-altering or upsetting incident.

Although research has established a correlation between PTSD and dementia, having PTSD does not automatically indicate you will acquire dementia.

Should I be concerned about developing dementia if I am stressed?

While prolonged stress may have a role in the development or progression of dementia, chronic stress does not always cause dementia, according to current data.

Hopefully, further study will be conducted to determine what effect, if any, stress plays in a person's risk of dementia.

Long-term stress can lead to a variety of health problems, so if you're stressed, consult your doctor, specifically if you think you could be suffering from PTSD.