Could wedded bliss increase your risk of dementia?

Divorce rates are often seen as a social concern—but could staying single or getting divorced actually be good for your brain?

While previous research has not consistently addressed how marital status relates to specific causes of dementia, increasing numbers of older adults who are divorced, widowed, or never married have caused some concern about potential dementia risks to this group.

American and French scientists wanted to understand if this was the case and their study yielded some surprising results which may make us rethink our understanding of the health benefits of life-long partnerships.

The joint US-French team published their findings in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, finding that older adults who were divorced or never married had a lower risk of developing dementia over an almost 20 year period compared to those who were married.

“We found that widowed, divorced, and never-married individuals had almost a 50 per cent or lower dementia risk relative to their married counterparts,” they wrote.

However, they were aware that their findings, “that all unmarried groups (widowed, divorced, never married) were associated with a lower dementia risk relative to married participants” contradicts most studies, which report that married individuals have a lower dementia risk than unmarried groups.

To understand the association between marital status and dementia risk for older adults, researchers from Florida State University (FSU) College of Medicine and the University of Montpellier (UM), France conducted a cohort study using data from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center.

They examined the records of more than 24,000 older adults who received rigorous cognitive assessment by doctors in specialised centres across the United States over an 18 year period and separated the participants into four groups – married, widowed, divorced and never married.

Measuring the dementia outcomes of the married group, compared to the other three groups the researchers found that divorced or never married participants showed a consistently lower risk of developing dementia compared to the married group.

While dementia was diagnosed in 20.1 per cent of the entire group of participants, 21.9 per cent of married people developed dementia during the study period.

In addition, the widowed group showed the same results, with 21.9 per cent of the group developing dementia over the 18 year study period compared to only 12.8 per cent of those divorced and only 12.4 per cent of never-married participants developing the disease.

After accounting for health, behavioural, genetic, and referral-related factors the research team said all three unmarried groups showed reduced risk for developing dementia, as the study showed divorced individuals had a 34 per cent reduced dementia risk, while never-marrieds had a 40 per cent reduced risk and widowed participants showed a 27 per cent decreased risk compared to those who remained married.

The research team also said that incidents of Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia were higher in married participants, as well as the risk of progressing from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.

“There is some evidence indicating an increase in some domains of well-being, such as happiness and life satisfaction, after divorce, and social participation after partner bereavement,” they wrote.

“Married individuals tend to have less social integration and are engaged in less frequent and lower-quality interactions in their networks compared to their unmarried counterparts.

“These positive aspects of well-being and social ties may potentially serve as protective factors against dementia over time.”

However, the research team believes that more research is needed and the findings could be “due to delayed diagnoses among unmarried individuals or present a challenge to assumptions that being married provides protection against dementia.”

Despite your marital status, the study could point to useful tips to reduce your risk of brain decline, such the importance of good social networks.

Whether it be meeting up for a coffee with friends, attending a class, or joining your local book club staying social may help maintain cognitive health.

A recent study, conducted by researchers at the Rush University Medical Center, found that regular social activity could help prevent or delay dementia in later life.

“This study is a follow up on previous papers from our group showing that social activity is related to less cognitive decline in older adults,” Bryan James, PhD, associate professor of internal medicine at Rush, said.

Researchers found that frequent social activity led to a 38 per cent reduction in dementia risk and a 21 per cent reduction in mild cognitive impairment risk, among participants, compared to those who were less socially active.

James explained that the study demonstrated that “social activity is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia and mild cognitive impairment, and that the least socially active older adults developed dementia an average of five years before the most socially active.”

Given these findings, the importance of staying socially engaged cannot be overstated. A great way to stay social is by joining a social group or club that caters to your interests, such as a book club, a gardening group, a dance group, or a community service group.

You could also join a volunteer group which can be a great way to meet new people and give back to your community.

Another way to socialise is by attending community events that can provide you with opportunities to meet new people and socialise with others.

You could also try taking a class or course in a subject that interests you where you’ll be able to meet like-minded people who share similar interests.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.