Age may be more related to reactions to stress and the absence of disease rather than to a person’s chronological age.’ Age may be more related to reactions to stress and the absence of disease rather than to a person’s chronological age, say leading researchers in the fields of neurobiology and psychoneuroendocrinology. And healthy aging is a good bet if stress can be moderated along with adopting an active, healthy lifestyle. This finding will be presented at the 114th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association (APA). From a review of studies on how stress hormones affect the brain, psychologist Bruce McEwen, PhD, of the Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology at The Rockefeller University, finds more evidence that biological and behavioral stress responses can be adaptive in the aftermath of stress, but can also cause damage when they are over- or under-produced and go on for a long time. ‘Acute stress seems to enhance immune function and improves memory but chronic stress has the opposite effect and can lead to disorders like depression, diabetes and cognitive impairment in aging,’ said Dr. McEwen. Cumulative stress effects, said McEwen, are showing up in people who are under constant stress, like those […]