If you’re not married, you could be TWICE as likely to develop dementia

BEING single could impact our mental health and increase the risk of dementia, a new study has found.

 

Dementia study: Being single may increase your dementia risk

 

As if singletons weren’t made to feel bad enough, they’ve now been told that not being married can severely impact their chances of severe cognitive decline.

The extensive research, which studied 2.2million people, revealed divorced individuals may be twice as likely to develop early-onset dementia and 40 per cent more at risk from late-onset dementia, compared to those who had walked down the aisle. 

This study goes one better than previous research which also found a similar link, with scientists differentiating between divorce, being widowed and eternal singledom.

 

Not being married may double dementia risk

 

The considerable study of individuals aged 50 to 74 - focused on Swedish residents thanks to country's meticulous medical records. 

All individuals were living without dementia when the study commenced in 1997.

Over 10 years, 32,000 had been diagnosed with dementia. 

Scientists found even though the threat of dementia was low overall, each non-married subcategory was associated with a significantly higher risk of dementia than the married group.

 



There was no difference between single men and women, and chances of developing the disease



 

The highest risk was observed among unmarried individuals. Divorcees were most a risk, followed by people who stayed single or were widowed.

There was no differentiation between genders, according to the findings, published in BMJ Open.

The study’s authors said: “Our results suggest those living alone as non-marrieds may be at risk for early-onset and late-onset dementia.

 

Experts say it highlights the need for strong social relationships

 

“[A] person who lives with someone may be less lonely and receive more social support, which is found to reduce psychological distress, including anxiety and depression. 

"Individuals with more social support also have access to better resources for coping with stressors and are less prone to assess stressors as threatening." 

The team recommend social relationships should be taken seriously as a risk factor for cognitive decline, and that social-based interventions may provide an opportunity to reduce the overall dementia risk. 

It is estimated 850,000 people live with dementia in the UK and 1million people will be living with the condition by 2025.