Close X
Thursday, October 31, 2024
ADVT 
Health

Balanced hormones help youngsters cope better with grief

Darpan News Desk IANS, 10 Sep, 2014 08:31 AM
  • Balanced hormones help youngsters cope better with grief
Young people cope better with the loss of a loved one because they have balanced stress hormones and a robust immune system that get weakened as we grow older, say scientists.
 
According to researchers from the University of Birmingham, the balance of our stress hormones, during grief, changes as we age.
 
It also means that elderly people are more likely to have reduced immune function, thereby suffering from more infections.
 
"During the difficult times after loss, we can suffer from reduced neutrophil function. Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cells and as such are essential at combating infections and illness, so we become vulnerable when this happens," explained Dr Anna Phillips, a reader in Behavioural Medicine at the University of Birmingham.
 
The results suggest a relationship between neutrophil function and the balance of our stress hormones.
 
Two stress hormones in particular appear to display different responses to loss as we age: cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS).
 
In younger participants, the ratio of cortisol and DHEAS was more balanced, whereas the cortisol to DHEAS ratio was significantly higher in the older study group.
 
Participants were studied while they were coping with the loss of a loved one, either a spouse or a close family member.
 
"Cortisol is known to suppress elements of the immune system during times of high stress, so having an unbalanced ratio of cortisol and DHEAS is going to affect how able we are to ward off illness and infection when grieving," informed co-author Janet Lord, a professor of immune cell biology.
 
Hormonal supplements or similar products could be used to help people at an increased risk of stress but this is not the only solution.
 
"There is, quite simply, no substitute for a strong support network of family and friends to help manage the risks during a period of grieving," researchers concluded.
 
The paper was published in the journal Immunity and Ageing.

MORE Health ARTICLES

Honey Can Destroy Harmful Fungus, Save Lives

Honey Can Destroy Harmful Fungus, Save Lives
Researchers from Britain have identified the effect of honey used since ancient times for the treatment of several diseases, on pathogenic fungi that can cause devastating infections in vulnerable people.

Honey Can Destroy Harmful Fungus, Save Lives

Exercise good for kids with attention disorder

Exercise good for kids with attention disorder
For kids suffering from attention deficit hyper-activity disorder (ADHD), daily aerobic exercises before school can help reduce symptoms of inattentiveness...

Exercise good for kids with attention disorder

Eating addiction similar to gambling fixation

Eating addiction similar to gambling fixation
If you cannot resist overeating despite the obvious health risks, you may well be suffering from an eating addiction which, as a study shows, is a behavioural...

Eating addiction similar to gambling fixation

Not salt but high BMI triggers hyper-tension

Not salt but high BMI triggers hyper-tension
If you are suffering from high blood pressure, check your Body Mass Index (BMI) first as a new study indicates sodium intake has less impact...

Not salt but high BMI triggers hyper-tension

Fish oil may help check seizure in epilepsy

Fish oil may help check seizure in epilepsy
Low doses of omega-3 fatty acids -- key component in fish oil capsules -- may help decrease the frequency of seizures for people who are...

Fish oil may help check seizure in epilepsy

Sex hormone is linked to autism

Sex hormone is linked to autism
In men suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), lower levels of the sex hormone estrogen may be related to changes in the brain's...

Sex hormone is linked to autism

PrevNext