Menopause International > Volume 14, Number 3 > Pp. 129-133

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Reviews

Stress, health and ageing: a focus on postmenopausal women

Oliver T Wolf ^*  and Brigitte M Kudielka 

^* Cognitive Psychology, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
Jacobs Center on Lifelong Learning and Institutional Development, Jacobs University, Bremen, Germany

Correspondence: Oliver T Wolf, PhD, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, D-44780 Bochum, Germany. Email: oliver.t.wolf{at}rub.de
Stress influences health and disease and this might be of special relevance for ageing. The present review starts with the description of age-associated changes of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In this context, the possible modulatory role of estradiol is discussed. Later, the influence of rising stress hormone levels for the ageing brain is illustrated and a few intervention strategies are outlined. At the end, the concept of allostatic load (AL) is described, which aims at a broader assessment of the impact of stress on the individual. The strengths and also the current limitations of the AL concept are highlighted.

Key Words: Ageing • allostatic load • hippocampus • hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis • memory

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