Pessimists Have a Higher Risk of Suffering From Dementia In the Future, Study Says

Besides the undeniable fact that we need to have a positive outlook on life to be happy, a new study also encourages us to tone down our negative thinking to prevent dementia in the future. A recent report says that a person who persistently engages in negative thought patterns will have a higher risk of having Alzheimer's disease later in life.

Dr. Natalie Marchant of the University of College London and her team studied over 350 subjects aged over 55, where they found evidence that repetitive negative thinking, also known as RNT, is associated with cognitive decline due to the buildup of harmful proteins in the brain. These proteins are known as tau and beta-amyloid infamous for causing Alzheimer's Disease, which is the most common form of dementia. 

Having a high level of RNT is associated with the buildup of the said proteins. Tau can be found in the part of the brain called the entorhinal cortex, while amyloid-beta is usually present across the brains of those with a heightened RNT.

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This collective of psychiatrists and senior researchers have conducted their studies over two years. Besides giving questionnaires that ask about how people deal with negative experiences, they also gathered factors for depression and anxiety symptoms for all subjects, as stated in a report.

Dr. Richard Isaacson of Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic said: "This is the first study showing a biological relationship between repetitive negative thinking and Alzheimer's pathology, and gives physicians a more precise way to assess risk and offer more personally-tailored interventions." 

"Many people at risk are unaware about the specific negative impact of worry and rumination directly on the brain," he added.

"Looking after your mental health is important, and it should be a major public health priority, as it's not only important for people's health and well-being in the short term, but it could also impact your eventual risk of dementia," study coauthor Dr. Gael Chételat said.

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What Can You Do To Help

The researchers suggested that certain activities will foster and boost positive thinking in an individual. One good example would be meditation, which helps eliminate the reactionary effects of being a pessimist.

Studies also mentioned that a person who is an optimist will most likely not die of cardiovascular disease. This report mentions that people who are jovial have a much larger instance of not acquiring any cardiovascular risk than people who always have a negative thought. 

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The report also mentioned that a positive thinker will have about a 35 percent lower risk of having major heart disease compared to a pessimist who will most likely suffer from a stroke or a heart attack. 

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