Stress in middle age can make your brain shrink and make your memory worse, scientists have discovered.

科学家发现，中年压力会让人的大脑萎缩且记忆力变差。

The brain-reducing effects of stress were found to be triggered by cortisol.

压力令大脑萎缩这一影响被发现是由皮质醇引发的。

The high levels of the stress hormone¹ may be an early warning sign someone may end up with dementia, the research suggests.

研究表明，这种压力荷尔蒙的水平高可能是一个早期预警信号，表明某人可能最终会患上痴呆症。

Stress also made people's thinking skills worse, the Harvard Medical School study found.

哈佛大学医学院的这项研究发现，压力还造成人们的思维技能变差。

For the research, scientists led by Dr Justin Echouffo-Tcheugui studied 2,231 people with an average age of 49 and free of dementia.

在研究中，由Justin Echouffo-Tcheugui博士领导的研究小组选取了2231名平均年龄为49岁且无痴呆症的人。

He said: "Our research detected memory loss and brain shrinkage in middle-aged² people before symptoms started to show."

他表示：“我们的研究在症状开始出现之前就发现了中年人的记忆力减退和脑萎缩。”

"So it's important for people to find ways to reduce stress, such as getting enough sleep, engaging in moderate exercise, incorporating relaxation³ techniques into their daily lives, or asking their doctor about their cortisol levels and taking a cortisol-reducing medication if needed."

“因此找到减轻压力的方法对人们来说很重要，比如获得充分睡眠，适度锻炼，把放松技巧融入日常生活，或向医生询问自己的皮质醇水平，如有必要，服用降低皮质醇水平的药物。”