(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- If you lead a stressful life, here's another reason to reduce that stress. A new study shows people who are stressed are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers say chronic stress is associated with changes in the area of the brain that deals with learning and memory. Investigators from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago wanted to study whether psychological distress may affect the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

The study was part of a larger study of older Catholic nuns, priests and brothers. Nearly 800 participants around 75 years old were evaluated for about five years. The participants were evaluated on their proneness to stress by having them rate questions such as whether or not they are a worrier or if they often feel tense and "jittery."

During the study, 140 people developed Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found those in the 90th percentile of having stress were twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those in the 10th percentile. The study also shows stress level was related to a decline in episodic memory such as recalling a list of words. In fact, episodic memory ability declined 10-times faster in those with high stress than in those with low stress levels. Researchers also report the association between stress and the development of Alzheimer's disease remained even after considering other factors such as depression level and cognitive activity level.

During the study, 141 study participants died. Investigators say 57 of them were considered probable for having Alzheimer's disease. Researchers were able to study the brains of these individuals to investigate whether stress was an early sign of Alzheimer's disease rather than a risk factor for the disease. Researchers found that proneness to distress was not related to measures of Alzheimer's disease pathology, but conclude psychological distress is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

In an accompanying editorial, John C.S. Breitner, M.D., from the University of Washington in Seattle, says, "This result suggests that stress proneness is a co-factor leading to dementia in Alzheimer's disease, but these results need to be confirmed."

SOURCE: Neurology, 2003;61:1479-1485

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