A new study finds that married people are more likely to develop dementia than those who are single, divorced, or widowed.
According to the site Psychology TodayThe study involved 24 participants aged 000 and older, who underwent psychological and cognitive testing, as well as regular clinical assessments by doctors over a period of 50 years.
Researchers found that unmarried people – whether divorced, widowed, or never married – had a 50 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared to married people.
In their study, they wrote: "At the start of the study, some participants already showed mild cognitive decline. However, progression to dementia was less common among unmarried participants."
They added: "Furthermore, during the study, some married participants became widowed. These participants were less likely to develop dementia compared to those who remained married."
The researchers emphasized that their results were obtained after taking into account several factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, education level, smoking and other indicators of physical and mental health.
Although they were unable to determine precisely why marriage would increase the risk of dementia, they suggest it may be related to the fact that single people tend to have more social contact with friends and neighbors, engage in healthier behaviors, and are more independent, which would enhance their cognitive abilities.
These results contrast sharply with those of another study conducted last year, which concluded that marriage improved men's health as they aged. However, that same study noted that marriage provided no particular benefits to women as they aged.
