Are Married Couples Less Likely to Get Alzheimer's?

Everyone seems to be well-aware of the negative side of being married, but not many are aware of the positives. Recently, a number of studies revealed that being married could actually play a huge role in keeping dementia and other cognitive diseases, particularly Alzheimer's, at bay.  

An analysis of 15 studies done in Europe, North and South America and Asia showed that people who are single or widowed are more likely to develop dementia than those who are married. The studies involved more than 800,000 people and unearthed a number of interesting facts:

• Those who fell into the lifelong singleton category had a 42 percent elevated risk
• Widows were shown to have a 20 percent risk
• Studies also found that divorcees did not show an elevated risk when compared to married people.

The big question is, why?

There are still a number of theories around on why married people had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.  However, previous research has found that married couples do tend to live a healthier lifestyle than their single counterparts. This could be because partners influence each other. If one partner decides to work-out more or eat less red meat, the other partner will likely follow. 

Another factor is that married couples do tend to live longer and be more social, which are two things that are proven to be factors in the development or prevention of dementia. Married couples are also more financially comfortable, which could offer a bit of stress relief compared to some singletons who might have to face financial burden on their own. 

But why are widows at a higher risk compared to divorcees?  Both are considered single!

This could potentially remain a mystery for a while. There is, however, a theory that the increased risk of Alzheimer's disease in widows could be due to the stress that they deal with as they grieve the loss of their partner.  Yet another theory finds that the development of dementia or Alzheimer's could be associated with personality traits or other cognitive issues. This is why more studies are needed to fully understand what Alzheimer's is and how it works.

Regardless of being married, widowed or single, there are a number of things that have been proven to help prevent the development of dementia.

Read on to learn more about the other ways that can decrease your risk for Alzheimer's disease, or other forms of dementia.