Blood Pressure, Depression ups Memory Problems in Young Adults

Being depressed or having high blood pressure could increase memory problems even in young adults, new study has shown.

Poor lifestyle and stress are known to increase dementia risk in old adults. However, a new study by University of California, Los Angeles and Gallup organization found that young adults are also at risk of developing memory problems due to lifestyle choices.

The kind of mental health problems that young adults face are different from those seen in older adults, researchers said. For youngsters, stress and the need for being connected 24/7 increases memory problem risk.

The ability to multitask has led to lower attention spans and poor memory in young adults, according to researchers.  

"In this study, for the first time, we determined these risk factors may also be indicative of early memory complaints, which are often precursors to more significant memory decline later in life," Dr. Gary Small, UCLA's Parlow-Solomon Professor on Aging and director of the UCLA Longevity Center, said in a news release.

The poll involved 18,552 individuals between ages 18 and 99 years. The poll was conducted between December 2011 and January 2012 and was part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

In all, 20 percent of the respondents had memory complaints, including 14 percent of younger adults, 22 percent of middle-aged adults and 26 percent of older adults, according to the news release.

Researchers found that depression, low levels of physical activity and high blood pressure increased risk of memory problems in people of all age groups. Depression was the main indicator of memory problems.

According to researchers, education protected people from developing mental health issues. They said that pursuing educational activities at any age might be helpful in preventing memory decline. A recent study has also shown that learning a new language at any age keeps the brain sharp.

The study is published in the journal PLOS One.