High Midlife Stress Hormone Levels Linked to Alzheimer's Risk in Postmenopausal Women

High midlife stress hormone levels linked to Alzheimer's risk in postmenopausal women

Is stress associated with Alzheimer's disease? It may be in women who are postmenopausal, a study led by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) shows.

For menopausal women, high levels of cortisol associated with stress linked to Alzheimer’s disease

Additional related studies reported that “higher blood cortisol levels are linked to an increased likelihood of developing the disease.” But identifying early risk factors is key for intervention.

Midlife Cortisol Levels Linked to Alzheimer’s Risk

A new study finds that elevated cortisol levels in midlife are linked to increased brain amyloid deposition—a key marker of Alzheimer’s disease—specifically in post-menopausal women. Researchers tracked 305 cognitively healthy individuals over 15 years and discovered that high cortisol predicted amyloid buildup later in life, but only among women who had gone through menopause.

3 Factors That Influence Women's Anxiety That Aren't Sex Hormones

Estrogen and progesterone aren't always to blame for women's anxiety. An integrative neurologist breaks down 3 other root causes of anxiety.