累垮的中年人或記憶力衰退
A study published on Wednesday in the journal Neurology showed stressed-out middle-aged people were more likely to show symptoms of memory loss. The study revealed that middle-aged people with high levels of a hormone called cortisol in their blood have apparently impaired memory when compared to those with average levels of the hormone.
週三於《神經病學》期刊上發佈的一篇研究表明：備受壓力的中年人更易出現健忘症狀。該研究表明：與血液中皮質醇激素水平處於平均值的中年人相比，該激素水平更高的中年人記憶力明顯受損。
Cortisol, produced by the adrenal glands, helps the body respond to stress and it can also help reduce inflammation, control blood sugar and blood pressure. High cortisol levels can be caused by stress, Medical conditions or medications.
皮質醇由腎上腺產生，有助於身體對壓力做出反應，同時有助於消炎、控制血糖和血壓。高的皮質醇水平可能是由於壓力、醫療條件或藥物引起的。
"Cortisol affects many different functions so it is important to fully investigate how high levels of the hormone may affect the brain," said the study's author Justin B. Echouffo-Tcheugui with Harvard Medical School.
"皮質醇影響許多不同的功能，所以對皮質醇的水平會如何影響大腦進行充分研究是非常重要的，"來自哈佛醫學院的研究作者Justin B. Echouffo-Tcheugui說道。
The researchers identified 2,231 people with an average age of 49 who were free of dementia. At the beginning of the study, each participant had a psychological exam and assessments for memory and thinking skills. Their memory and thinking skills were tested again an average of eight years later.
研究人員確定了2231名受試者，他們平均年齡49歲，不患有癡呆症。研究初期，每位受試者都進行了心理測試以及記憶力和思維能力評估測試。平均8年後，研究員再一次對他們的記憶力和思維能力進行測試。
Participants also provided a blood sample, taken in the morning after a period of fasting. Researchers measured cortisol levels in the blood and then divided participants into low, middle and high groups. A total of 2,018 participants also had an MRI brain scan to measure brain volume, according to the study.
受試者還提供了禁食一段時間之後的血液樣本。研究人員測量了血液中的皮質醇水平，而後將受試者分爲低水平、中間水平和高水平羣組。研究表示，共計2018位受試者進行了磁共振成像腦部掃描以測量腦容量。
After adjusting for age, sex, smoking, and body mass index, researchers found that people with high levels of cortisol had lower scores on tests of memory and thinking skills than those with normal levels of cortisol.
在調整年齡、性別、吸菸情況和身體質量指數之後，研究員發現：相比皮質醇水平正常的受試者，皮質醇水平高的受試者在記憶力和思維能力測試中的得分更低。
But no links were found between low cortisol levels and memory or brain size.
但研究員並未發現低的皮質醇水平與記憶力和腦容量大小之間存在關聯。
"Our research detected memory loss and brain shrinkage in middle-aged people before symptoms started to show, so it's important for people to find ways to reduce stress, such as getting enough sleep, engaging in moderate exercise, incorporating relaxation techniques into their daily lives, or asking their doctor about their cortisol levels and taking a cortisol-reducing medication if needed," said Echouffo-Tcheugui.
"我們的研究發現：在出現症狀之前，中年人就已經開始健忘和腦萎縮了，所以找到方法緩解壓力是非常重要的（比如獲得充足的睡眠、進行適度鍛鍊、將放鬆技巧融入日常生活，諮詢醫生你的皮質醇水平，如若必要，服用降皮質醇的藥物，）"Echouffo-Tcheugui說道。
