The Daily Telegraph

The 27 times of stress that can risk dementia

Scientists discover that experienci­ng just one upsetting event can age the brain by four years

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By Sarah Knapton SCIENCE EDITOR

DEALING with stressful life events, such as a difficult mother-in-law, being flooded from your home or your partner having an affair, can age the brain by four years, increasing the risk of dementia, scientists have found.

Researcher­s identified 27 scenarios which are so upsetting they put severe strain on the body and cause long-term health problems.

For children and teenagers, having to repeat a year of school, being expelled or growing up with a parent who abused drugs or alcohol were found to be particular­ly damaging to the brain.

Likewise, for adults, losing a job, the death of a parent or spouse, long-term unemployme­nt and joining the Army all had negative consequenc­es in later life, the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health found.

Experienci­ng just one of the stressful life events was equivalent to four years of cognitive ageing, meaning that a 66-year-old would have the mental capacity of someone who was 70. But experts said the effect was probably cumulative, meaning the more events experience­d the greater the damage. Cognitive decline in later life is a major risk factor for dementia.

Dr Carol Routledge, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Stressful life events can turn our lives upside down for a time and though most people can eventually return to an even keel, we can’t be sure how psychologi­cal stress and worse could impact the workings of the brain over time.

“There is a growing realisatio­n that events and experience­s throughout life can impact the brain decades later.” There are around 800,000 people living with dementia in Britain, the majority of whom have Alzheimer’s disease, for which there is no treatment or cure.

For the new study, researcher­s asked 1,320 people in the US in their 50s and 60s to undergo memory and problemsol­ving tests to rate their mental ability They were also asked to fill in a questionna­ire about their lifetime stress.

The results showed a strong link between lifetime stress and poorer cognition in later life. Just one stressful event earlier in life was equal to four years of cognitive ageing.

A second study by the University of Wisconsin also found that living in a poor neighbourh­ood increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

The researcher­s said people living in deprived areas often struggled to eat healthy foods or exercise and were more likely to experience high levels of pollution and stress. It is already known that living in a disadvanta­ged neighbourh­ood increases risk of diabetes, cancer and early death, but it is the first to link poor areas with dementia.

Dr Amy Kind, of the University of Wisconsin, said: “This study provides evidence to suggest that living in a neighbourh­ood challenged by poverty, low education, unemployme­nt, and/or sub-standard housing may increase risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Dr Doug Brown, director of research and developmen­t for Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We know that prolonged stress can have an impact on our health. However, it remains to be establishe­d whether these stressful life events can lead to an increased risk of dementia. Studying the role of stress is complex. It is hard to separate from other conditions such as anxiety and depression, which are also thought to contribute towards dementia risk.

“However, the findings do indicate that more should be done to support people from disadvanta­ged communitie­s that are more likely to experience stressful life events.”

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