The Importance Of Cortisol Levels

Unlike some risk factors for AD, such as age and genetics, others are within our control. Cortisol is a hormone related to the stress response, and people can possibly maintain healthy cortisol levels by reducing stress and avoiding depression. High levels of cortisol cause the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for new learning and short-term memory, to shrink. This is important because, according to the American Academy of Neurology, the shrinkage of the hippocampus often precedes the onset of AD (“Shrinking in the Hippocampus Area”, 2009). According to a study published in Neurology, that involved 4,244 people with an average age of seventy-six who did not have dementia, the researchers found that elderly individuals with the highest level of cortisol in their saliva were more likely to have a smaller overall brain volume than those with lower levels of cortisol (Geerlings et al, 2015). Those with the highest level of cortisol also performed worse on memory and thinking tests than those with low levels of the hormone (Geerlings et al, 2015). With this information in mind, cortisol clearly has a direct impact on cognitive decline. …show more content…
Since GD leads to an increase in cortisol levels, reducing the prevalence of GD would lead to a decrease in cortisol production, preserve the size of the hippocampus, and therefore lower the risk of developing AD in the