There are many good reasons to get married, but protecting your brain’s health might not be one of them.
Being unmarried is associated with a lower risk of being diagnosed with dementia, according to a recent study out of the Florida State University College of Medicine.
In addition, those who are unmarried are less likely to progress from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. (Mild cognitive impairment is a condition that involves memory loss and trouble with language and judgment but doesn’t affect daily activities.)
The findings were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the scientific journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
The benefits of being single apply to those who never marry, as well as those who are divorced or widowed.
The study tracked 24,000 adults over age 18 through the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center. These adults were evaluated annually at specialized dementia clinics.
In an interview with MedPage Today, study co-author Selin Karakose said that unlike in earlier research — which typically has found links between being unmarried and having a higher risk of developing dementia — this study’s findings challenge the notion that marriage offers a protective benefit with regard to dementia.
Karakose told MedPage Today:
“Previous work has emphasized the benefits of marriage. However, married individuals may have a smaller social network, tend to be less self-reliant, and may experience stressful conditions such as caregiving, which could contribute to the risk of dementia.”
The findings in the FSU study applied to both men and women and were deemed “significant” for Alzheimer’s disease, which largely affects memory, and Lewy body dementia, which can cause memory and problem-solving issues as well as visual hallucinations.
The FSU researchers say their findings might simply indicate delayed diagnoses among those who are single. On the other hand, they might show a genuine reason to question whether marriage protects against dementia.
For more about preventing dementia, check out “10 Foods That Researchers Have Linked to a Lower Risk of Dementia.”
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