RECENT RESEARCH SHOWS that people who are currently middle-aged or older are experiencing more frequent stressful events. Although everyone experiences some stress in daily life, some people experience stress that is more intense, persistent or prolonged. It is this relatively chronic stress that is most consistently linked with poorer health.
It is hard to overstate the impact of stress on your cognitive health as you age. This is in part because your psychological, behavioral and biological responses to everyday stressful events are closely intertwined, and each can amplify and interact with the other.
For instance, living alone can be stressful – particularly for older adults – and being isolated makes it more difficult to live a healthy lifestyle, as well as to detect and get help for signs of cognitive decline.
Besides, stressful experiences and your reactions to them can make it harder to sleep well and to engage in other healthy behaviors. Insufficient sleep and a lack of physical activity can also make it harder to cope with stressful experiences.
A lot of research highlights the importance of at least 14 different factors that relate to your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a common form of dementia. Although some of these factors may be outside of your control, such as diabetes or depression, many of these factors involve things that people do, such as physical activity, healthy eating and social engagement.
What is less well-recognized is that chronic stress is intimately interwoven with all of these factors that relate to dementia risk. Chronic stress can affect brain function and physiology, influence mood and make it harder to maintain healthy habits, say experts.
Whether you are a young, midlife or an older adult, it is not too early or too late to address the implications of stress on brain health and aging. Here are a few ways you can take direct actions to help manage your level of stress:
1. Follow lifestyle behaviors that can improve healthy aging. These include: following a healthy diet, engaging in physical activity and getting enough sleep. Even small changes in these domains can make a big difference.
2. Prioritize your mental health and well-being to the extent you can. Things as simple as talking about your worries, asking for support from friends and family and going outside regularly can be immensely valuable.
3. If your doctor says that you or someone you care about should follow a new health care regimen, or suggests there are signs of cognitive impairment, ask them what support or advice they have for managing related stress.
4. If you or a loved one feel socially isolated, consider how small shifts could make a difference. For instance, research suggests that adding just one extra interaction a day – even if it’s a text message or a brief phone call – can be helpful.
Although research on potential biomedical treatments is ongoing and important, there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. But if interventions aimed at reducing stress were prioritized in guidelines for dementia prevention, the benefits could be far-reaching, resulting in both delayed disease onset and improved quality of life for people. By Manny Palomar, PhD (EV Mail JULY JULY 21-27, 2025 Issue)
