Unmarried people might face higher risk of dementia

Reported July 30, 2008

CHICAGO - Middle-aged married people who worry a lot have at least one thing to look forward to: Their risk of eventually developing Alzheimer's disease may be significantly less than carefree people of the same age who remain single.

That's the take-home message from two studies presented jointly Wednesday in Chicago at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease.

One study followed 1,449 men and women in Finland for an average of 21 years. It found that those who had a partner in midlife were about 50 percent less likely to develop dementia in late life - ages 65 to 79 - than those who lived alone.

The second study involved 2,604 middle-aged men in Israel who were followed for as long as three decades.

Surprisingly, those who usually ruminated about work or family matters were significantly less likely to develop dementia when they were older than those who usually were able to forget about their difficulties.

For instance, about 21 percent of those who typically were able to forget about family problems eventually developed dementia, compared with 14 percent of those who usually ruminated about family issues. Similar rates were found with rumination over work issues.
 

Researchers are not sure why a tendency to ruminate would reduce the risk of developing dementia, although one possibility is that those people are constantly planning for their problems which, in turn, gives them more brain power later in life, said lead author Ramit Ravona-Springer, a physician with the Sheba Medical Center in Israel.

While the idea of rumination being good for brain health might seem counterintuitive, it might have a plausible explanation, said Diana Kerwin, a geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine who practices at Froedtert Hospital.

''These people who continually use their brain in problem solving or whatever are going to have more neuronal connections,'' said Kerwin, who was not a part of that study.

In addition, not trying to deal with problems and instead always feeling overwhelmed can increase levels of stress hormones, said Marilyn Albert, a professor of neurology and co-director of the Alzheimer's Center at Johns Hopkins University.

''Stress hormones in the brain for long periods of time are bad for you,'' said Albert, who was not a part of the study.

Being married or having a partner in midlife might improve brain health by intensifying social and intellectual stimulation that later help the brain stave off the effects of dementia, said lead author Krister Hakansson with the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.
 

The increased risk of dementia for those who remained without a partner through all of midlife varied depending on their circumstances, he said.

For instance, those who just stayed single had double the risk. Those who remained divorced had triple the risk. Those who were widowed had a six-fold greater risk.

The risk was especially pronounced in those who were carriers of the APOE4 gene, which increases the risk of getting Alzheimer's.

The study is consistent with other research on the benefits of married life, said Michael Malone, a geriatrician with Aurora Health Care and a professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Public Health.

''A good social support network can protect against cognitive impairment,'' said Malone, who practices at Aurora Sinai Medical Center. ''If you have good social support, it can help you age successfully.''

For instance, unmarried men don't have someone to push them to see a doctor for cardiovascular risks such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, which can affect brain health, he said.

Being married or having a partner in midlife might improve brain health by intensifying social and intellectual stimulation that later help the brain stave off dementia. Being single might raise rise for Alzheimer's later in life, studies show

Source : Milwaukee Journal Sentinel