I want to focus your attention on a lifestyle-related risk factor for Alzheimer’s that many people think they have no control over: chronic stress. In my opinion, chronic stress could be the most overlooked or underestimated factor when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease risk, as well as its propensity for making things worse for those who already have Alzheimer’s and their family caregivers.
Why is it overlooked or underestimated? It could be that by the time an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is made, most people are over 65, their children are grown, they are usually retired. They’re not experiencing the same level of stress they did in the past, even if they are a “type A” personality. It’s understandable that a person who doesn’t feel stressed doesn’t think stress is a factor in their current cognitive decline and their doctors usually don’t either.
Here’s the problem: Chronic stress, experienced over several years in the past, can have a lasting impact on an individual’s cognitive function in the future, potentially increasing the risk of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Here’s how:
Imagine chronic stress as a continuous strain on your brain and body, like a persistent pressure that doesn’t let up. When you’re stressed, your body releases a hormone called cortisol, which is meant to help you deal with short-term threats. But when stress is ongoing because of long-term challenges, your body constantly pumps out cortisol.
This continuous surge of cortisol can affect your brain in multiple ways over time:
- Brain structure: Chronic stress can cause changes in the brain’s structure. The hippocampus, responsible for memory and learning, can become smaller. This can lead to difficulties in recalling information and forming new memories.
- Neurotransmitters: Stress disrupts the balance of neurotransmitters — chemicals that allow brain cells to communicate. This imbalance can affect mood, emotions and cognitive functions. It might lead to problems like anxiety, depression and trouble focusing.
- Inflammation: Chronic stress triggers inflammation throughout the body, including the brain. Inflammation can damage brain cells and interfere with their communication. This can impair cognitive abilities, affecting thinking, reasoning and problem-solving.
- Neuroplasticity: Chronic stress can impact neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to adapt and change. It can reduce the brain’s flexibility to create new pathways and connections, limiting its ability to learn and adapt to new information.
- Cellular damage: The constant presence of cortisol can lead to oxidative stress, harming brain cells. This oxidative damage accumulates over time and is linked to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
- Memory and learning: The persistent release of cortisol can affect the way your brain processes memories and learns new information. You might find it harder to remember things or struggle with new tasks.
All of these effects can add up over the years, affecting cognitive function and increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Chronic stress essentially accelerates the normal aging process of the brain, making it more vulnerable to cognitive decline and other related issues.
Everyone who experiences chronic stress doesn’t get Alzheimer’s disease. I’m not saying chronic stress causes Alzheimer’s, I’m saying it’s a strong contributor — perhaps an initiating contributor for many people — because of the way it impacts the brain and its association with a number of chronic health issues that impact the brain:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Insulin resistance
- High blood pressure
- Metabolic syndrome
- Activation of the innate immune system (which can be caused by toxins and infections)
- Blood-brain barrier permeability
- Various issues related to gut health
- Insomnia or poor sleep quality/quantity
Finally, there’s a direct connection between inflammation and Alzheimer’s. Inflammation in the brain triggers amyloid, which leads to tau, which leads to cell death. These are the hallmark diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer’s, and this process has been considered the cause of Alzheimer’s disease for many years. Billions of dollars have been spent trying to reduce or eliminate amyloid in the brain. It never works, and the recently approved drugs continue to prove it doesn’t work.
Doesn’t it make more sense to tackle the problems that cause the processes that lead to Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s is complicated and most people have more than 10 hidden contributors that can lead to it. Chronic stress could be the beginning of the metabolic mayhem that eventually leads to Alzheimer’s for many people.
That’s why it’s so important to manage stress and to also reduce it throughout life, even if the effects might not be immediately apparent. Even though you may not feel stressed today, if you want to prevent cognitive decline or improve symptoms, stress management techniques are still extremely important. In fact, in the first case study showing reversal of symptoms in 9 out of 10 Alzheimer’s patients in 2014, stress reduction played an important role in that they were required to meditate twice a day as part of the overall program.
Always remember that healthy lifestyle changes are an ongoing process, so release perfection in favor of continuous progress.
Angela Chapman, M.Ed, FDN-P, is a certified ReCODE practitioner and health educator. If you’re looking for ways to prevent or fight Alzheimer’s, her Sunday email is a great resource for you.