If you are stressed out all the time, especially in your earlier years, you can be affecting your ability to think as you approach middle age. A study of more than 2,000 people, most of them in their 40s, found those with the highest levels of the stress-related hormone cortisol performed worse on tests of memory, organization, visual perception, and attention. The study was published in the October 2018 Journal of Neurology Many people worry about things they cannot control which for many folks is part of the problem. The study showed that high sustained cortisol levels may cause Alzheimer's disease and that women are more likely to be affected. High cortisol levels can also affect sleep. Check out the article below “Stress Hormone” Cortisol Linked to Early Toll on Thinking Ability The stresses of everyday life may start taking a toll on the brain in relatively early middle age, new research shows. Scientific American Karen Weintraub The stresses of everyday life may start taking a toll on the brain in relatively early middle age, research shows. The study of more than 2,000 people, most of them in their 40s, found those with the highest levels of the stress-related hormone cortisol performed worse on tests of memory, organization, visual perception and attention. Higher cortisol levels, measured in subjects’ blood, were also found to be associated with physical changes in the brain that are often seen as precursors to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, according to the study published in October 2018 in Neurology. Read more