NO ONE IS IMMUNE –
April 26, 2024 – We know that our risk of developing Alzheimer’s is dependent on a range of genetic and environmental factors. And among these environmental factors are alcohol consumption and chronic stress.
“Alcohol consumption and stress are going to have a synergistic effect on Alzheimer’s Disease risk and general cognitive decline,” Nikki Crowley, director of the Penn State Neuroscience Institute at University Park and an assistant professor of biology, told Newsweek.
“This means that when an individual is exposed to both a high amount of stress and drinks alcohol, the combination of the two has a greater impact on that person’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline. And it’s really going to depend on how much, and how long, an individual experiences stress and alcohol, either together or separately, as well. For instance, some people consume alcohol to cope with stress, and this can have further cascading negative health effects.”