A research finding shows that worrying on aging may actually increase risk of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers reveal that those who treat dementia as a disability are most likely to develop brain alterations similar to it.
A group of United States researchers discusses the advantage of the mind's power. Focusing on consuming healthy food alone is not enough -- positive thinking can be beneficial as well according to experts. It's an "interesting association, but it's very hard to interpret, because there's a really wide range of things, besides stress, that could be involved," Dr. Amy Kelley, from Mount Sinai in New York City, said.
Optimism can reportedly prevent prevalence of Alzheimer's disease. "Although the findings are concerning, it is encouraging to realise that these negative beliefs about ageing can be mitigated and positive beliefs can be reinforced, so that the adverse impact is not inevitable," researcher Becca Levy stated.
In the study, she assessed data of 74 individuals in their middle-aged years until they passed away. It revealed that all were relatively healthy at the beginning and started to manifest signs of aging in their late 50s to early 60s.
The participants were asked to answer a questionnaire determining their attitude towards aging. It included questions whether elderly are being absent-minded or grumpy and whether they feel useless as they grow older.
After 20 years, they underwent a yearly brain scan to measure the size of their hippocampus -- the brain's memory system. With age, the brain is expected to shrivel; however, the hippocampus astonishingly staled threefold faster in those who view aging as a negative process.
Further studies were conducted following the death of patients. With an average long-term study of 28 years, researchers found that pessimists' brain contained increased level of two certain proteins, which are telltale signs of Alzheimer's, namely, amyloid plaques and tangles (strands of twisted protein). Other contributing factors that might alter the result like age, gender and overall health have been already taken into account.
It is believed that stress that is generated by negative beliefs with regard to aging can result in changes of the brain, pathologically speaking, as stated by Dr. Levy. This finding provides a basis for reinterpreting Alzheimer's disease data.
