Stress in high levels can cause cognitive impairment to older people according to recent study.

Researchers from the Montefiore Health System and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York have found that cognitive impairment which is a precursor of Alzheimer's disease is increased when older people are exposed to it.

In the study, researchers examined 507 older adults who are enrolled in the Einstein Ageing Study. The results of the research showed that the subjects who were exposed to high level of stress had two times higher risk of developing cognitive impairment. This was confirmed by Richard Lipton who is the senior author of the study.

The subjects are 70 years old and above and are all residing in New York. All of the participants underwent examinations, clinical evaluations and neuropsychological tests. Their daily activities were also evaluated during the study which lasted for an average of 3.6 years.

"Our study provides strong evidence that perceived stress increases the likelihood that an older person will develop aMCI," revealed Lipton from Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

With the said observations, health professionals will now be able to help individuals delay or prevent from having Alzheimer's disease since stress can still be treated or even avoided.

Mindy Katz, one of the authors of the study who is also a senior associate in the neurology department at Einstein stated that people experience stress in their daily lives but in can still be altered by means of therapies and drugs that ca reduce stress. With this new knowledge, the cognitive decline of an individual can now be postponed and prevented.

In the U.S., around 5.3 million people have Alzheimer's disease as reported by the Alzheimer's Association. The alarming number is still expected to increase by the year 2025. In 2050, health authorities have projected that around 13.8 million individuals will suffer from the said disease.

The said study is now published in Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders.