Researchers from the University of Minho in Portugal and Germany recently concluded that adverse life events, such as stress, can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease by releasing hormones that accelerate the growth of some biochemical and behavioral effects.
They also found that stress can trigger a surge in beta-amyloid proteins, which have been linked to the neurological disorder as well. The hormones released by the emotion in part have a severe impact on tau proteins that can lead to physiological and mental changes.
"Our findings show that stress hormones and stress can cause changes in the tau protein like those that arise in Alzheimer's disease," said researcher Osborne Almeida.
"Viewing stress as a trigger of Alzheimer's disease offers exciting new research possibilities aimed at preventing and delaying this severe disease."
The Alzheimer's Association estimates that there are currently 5.4 million Americans suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Healthy retirement living means reducing stress levels as much as possible. While it may not be possible to control the events in life, it's possible to control the reaction to them. Retirees should seek ways to cope with stress so that their golden years can be healthy and happy.
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