Signs of psychological stress, such as distress or exhaustion, may be associated with an increased risk of dementia, according to a Finnish study.
Burnout
There is currently no cure for dementia. and according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 50 million people worldwide suffer from the condition. It is well known that stress has various negative effects on health. It can lead to fatigue, high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression. In a recent study published in the journal JAMA Network Open, Finnish researchers found that signs of psychological stress, such as nervousness or exhaustion, may be associated with an increased risk of dementia.
Read Also: Early L-Dopa Administration for Age-Related Cognitive Decline and Dementia Harmful
Could stress be a factor in cognitive decline?
Dementia is a syndrome that includes various symptoms such as impaired memory, behavior, reasoning, or ability to carry out daily activities. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease.
For this study, the researchers analyzed various national population surveys conducted in Finland every five years from 1972 to 2007. This cohort was also linked to data from the Finnish Health Register for dementia and mortality for each participant until the end of 2017.
During the study, participants reported symptoms of psychological distress such as nervousness, depressed mood, exhaustion, and anxiety. Cases of dementia were recorded through national health registries.
Read Also: Excessive Napping in the Elderly May Be an Early Sign of Alzheimer’s Dementia
During the 25-year follow-up period, 7,935 people were diagnosed with dementia among 67,688 participants. “Symptoms of psychological distress, especially after the age of 45, were associated with later dementia, but the nature of this association is unclear,” says Sonja Sulkava, study co-author and researcher at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, Finland.
More studies are needed to confirm the findings
However, Professor Yoram Barack, from the University of Otago (New Zealand), mentions in an editorial a black spot in the study: stress or fatigue was assessed based on participants’ self-reported responses. According to him, stress as a dementia-promoting factor is not valid because clinical diagnoses of anxiety and depression were not included in the research.
“These findings suggest that if we want to solve the puzzle of the link between depression and anxiety and dementia risk, we need to examine persistent patterns of perception of the internal and external environment over long periods of time and at different stages of the life cycle,” he suggests.
Read Also: Scottish Study Shows Slow Walking Pace, Memory Complaints May Signify Dementia Risk
References
Sulkava, S., Haukka, J., Sulkava, R., Laatikainen, T., & Paunio, T. (2022). Association Between Psychological Distress and Incident Dementia in a Population-Based Cohort in Finland. JAMA Network Open, 5(12), e2247115. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.47115
FEEDBACK:
