Stress has long been associated with negative health effects. However, the AARP recently explored the latest research on the effects of stress on wellness, and found that it can actually have more significant negative consequences that previously believed.
According to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, chronic stress can cause disease, not simply exacerbate existing conditions, as previously believed.
"We are just beginning to understand the ways that stress influences a wide range of diseases of aging, including heart disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and certain types of disability, even early death," Sheldon Cohen, a professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh who has been at the forefront of stress research for 30 years told the AARP.
As the research indicates, it seems that chronic stress is increasingly a part of everyday life for adults over 50. An AARP poll found that within the past year, 37 percent of adults over the age of 50? experienced a major stressful life event, such as the death of a family member, chronic illness or a job loss.
Stress can lead to the development of other habits that can negatively affect wellness, such as drinking, smoking, reduced exercise and social isolation. This is particularly concerning, because as many families know, the process of preparing a home for aging in place and the transition to retirement can be stressful.
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