High stress levels may contribute to memory loss among people at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. The е4 variant of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene contributes to the risk for memory loss related to Alzheimer’s disease. Similarly, high circulating levels of cortisol, associated with high stress levels, also impairs memory.

Drinking more than three cups of coffee a day helps protect older women against some age-related memory decline, French researchers say. However, they say men did not enjoy the same benefit.

Even low doses of Ecstasy may be associated with a decline in language-related memory, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.