Unmarried people had lower dementia risk, new study finds
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Unmarried older adults in the U.S. were less likely to develop dementia than those who were married, according to a new study of 24,000 Americans.
Why it matters: The finding seems to contradict the long-held belief that marriage is associated with better cognitive health and longevity.
What they found: "Widowed, divorced, and never-married older adults had a lower dementia risk, compared to their married counterparts," the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center researchers say, based on a study of adults aged 50+, who were tracked for up to 18 years.
- Yes, but: The study relied on volunteers — mostly white and married — so the findings may not reflect the broader U.S. population.
Context: Previous research has linked marriage to positive health outcomes, including:
- Lower risk of heart disease
- Longer life expectancy
- Even reduced dementia risk
What they're saying: "This finding can change the way we understand the connection between marital status and risk of dementia," said study co-author Selin Karakose of Florida State University College of Medicine in Tallahassee, to MedPage Today.
- She noted that marriage — which has benefits — can also come with stress, smaller social circles and caregiving burdens that may affect brain health.
Between the lines: The idea that unmarried individuals may be diagnosed later, simply because they don't have a spouse encouraging them to seek care, could potentially skew the findings.
Zoom out: Changes linked to dementia can begin up to 20 years before symptoms appear, so midlife — your 40s to 60s — may be a critical window for protecting your brain, Axios' Alison Snyder reports.
- To help train your brain and keep dementia at bay, it could help to play, learn and cross-train.
What's next: Researchers recommend homing in on factors like marital quality in future dementia studies.
Go deeper: How centenarians are cracking the code on living to 100
