Story highlights High levels of stress hormones are linked to memory loss, study says Effects are evident in mid-life years, before symptoms appear (CNN) Listen up, gen-Xers and millennials, and, well, everybody who has a brain. If you live a high-stress life, you could have memory loss and brain shrinkage before you turn 50, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Neurology. "Higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, seem to predict brain function, brain size and performance on cognitive tests," said study author Dr. Sudha Seshadri, professor of neurology at UT Health San Antonio. "We found memory loss and brain shrinkage in relatively young people long before any symptoms could be seen," Seshadri said. "It's never too early to be mindful of reducing stress." Too much 'flight or fight' Keeping your brain fit, by a USA Memory Champion Cortisol is one of the body's key stress ...