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Study Says Unresolved Anxiety Could Increase Your Risk Of Dementia

Author:

Sarah Regan

October 10, 2024

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

By Sarah Regan

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Editor, and a registered yoga instructor. She received her bachelor's in broadcasting and mass communication from SUNY Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.

Image by Sophia Hsin / Stocksy

October 10, 2024

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If you struggle with anxiety, you don't need us to tell you that it can be incredibly difficult to manage. But according to research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, unresolved anxiety could cause even more issues down the road. Here's what they found.

Studying the connection between dementia & anxiety

For this study, data was taken from the Hunter Community Study in Australia, looking at over 2,100 people with an average age of 76 years.

Following these individuals for 10 years, the research showed that chronic anxiety and new onset anxiety were associated with a 2.8 and 3.2 higher, respectively, chance of dementia. The study authors note these results were driven "particularly by chronic and new anxiety among participants below the age of 70 years."

Interestingly, however, the same could not be said for those with resolved anxiety, who did not have an increased risk of dementia. In fact, their risk was no higher than participants without current or past anxiety.

"The resolved anxiety [group] at follow-up reduced the risk, similar to that of the non-exposed group," the study authors explain, adding, "These results suggest that timely management of anxiety may be a viable strategy in reducing the risk of dementia."

How to manage anxiety

Given the findings of this research, it's important to mind your mental health for overall well-being now and in the long run. And if you're dealing with anxiety—which can look like a lot of different things, for what it's worth—it's worthwhile to seek the support of a professional.

Someone who is trained to help people manage what you're dealing with is going to be the quickest track to relief. And on top of finding a therapist that works for you, here are a few other expert-backed tips:

Practice mindfulness

Anxiety has a way of making us project into the future rather than staying present in the moment. As such, clinical psychologist Marla Deibler, Ph.D., previously told mindbodygreen, "Taking time to practice being fully present and aware of your moment-to-moment experience can be helpful in managing anxiety."

When you find yourself getting swept away by future worries and fears, bring yourself back to the here and now. Ask yourself if anything is really wrong about the moment you're in. The more you practice this, the more you find things are often not wrong at all.

But don't just take our word for it: Research shows 1 that mindfulness-based interventions have "demonstrated efficacy in reducing anxiety and depression symptom severity in a broad range of treatment-seeking individuals."

Maintain a healthy lifestyle

Sometimes working out and eating well sounds too good to be true when it comes to improving mental health, but it's not. Simple swaps like reducing sugar and walking more have been shown to reduce anxiety, after all. And, of course, if you're not getting enough sleep (or your sleep schedule is all over the place), that could be contributing to your anxiety, too.

Sometimes we don't need to overcomplicate our well-being practices. The basics are basics for a reason; Don't forget about them.

Find your favorite stress-busting techniques

Maybe it's yoga, spending time in nature, hanging out with great friends, or simply doing some deep breathing exercises. Find the things that help you feel calm, centered, and grounded, and make a commitment to practice them whenever you need to.

Here's our roundup of 15 expert-approved grounding techniques to try yourself.

The takeaway

Anxiety isn't forever, and working with a trusted therapist can help you find the right methods that work for you to find some peace. According to this research, the sooner the better, for the sake of your mental health, and your long-term well-being.