Protecting your brain from stress

Several studies show that chronic stress — the feeling of constantly being overwhelmed by one or more of life’s challenges — can result in shrinkage, called atrophy, of an area of the brain known as the hippocampus. This area is important to the creation and storage of memories. High levels of stress and prolonged states of stress can increase chronic inflammation and affect cell aging.

Stress can affect brain health in other ways. When you’re faced with a stressful situation, a surge of hormones temporarily increases your blood pressure and causes your blood vessels to narrow. While there’s no proof that stress can cause long-term high blood pressure on its own, it’s linked to factors that can increase your risk of having high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a risk factor for cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s disease.

Strategies for keeping stress in check include: