Hidden kind of stress can damage your memory as you age: Study

Washington DC: A new study reveals that internalising stress--especially feelings of hopelessness--may significantly speed up memory decline in older Chinese Americans. Surprisingly, factors like community support didn't show the same impact. Researchers say cultural pressures and stereotypes may cause emotional struggles to go unnoticed and untreated.

The findings suggest that targeted, culturally sensitive stress relief could play a powerful role in preserving cognitive health.

Stress that people turn inward may be quietly increasing the risk of memory loss in older Chinese Americans, according to new research from Rutgers Health.

The study, published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, was conducted by researchers at the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Ageing Research. It explored a range of factors that could either raise or reduce the risk of cognitive decline in Chinese adults over age 60.

This group was selected in part because older Chinese Americans have often been overlooked in research on brain ageing, leaving important gaps in understanding how memory loss develops in this population.

"With the number of older Asian Americans growing significantly, it's vital to better understand the risk factors of memory decline in this understudied population," said Michelle Chen, a core member of the Center for Healthy Aging Research at Rutgers and the study's lead author.

The researchers noted that cultural expectations may play a role in shaping mental health outcomes. The model minority stereotype, which portrays Asian Americans as consistently successful, educated and healthy, can create added pressure while also masking emotional struggles.

At the same time, many older immigrants face challenges such as language barriers and cultural differences, which can contribute to ongoing stress. While these issues are not unique to Asian Americans, the researchers say they may be particularly relevant in this context.

"Stress and hopelessness may go unnoticed in ageing populations, yet they play a critical role in how the brain ages," said Chen, who is also an assistant professor of neurology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. "Because these feelings are modifiable, our goal is for this research to inform culturally sensitive stress-reduction interventions to mitigate these feelings in older adults." (ANI)

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