Unsure about marriage? Study indicates it might protect you from dementia in your old age
Old age dementia
Even though it is fairly common these days, divorce remains something that society frowns upon. A new study has revealed that the end of a marriage could earn you more than society's displeasure, it could bring you serious health problems. As per the study, being a divorcee or even being single in your mid-life increases a person's risk of dementia. However, being married continuously for a prolonged period of time can significantly decrease the risk of developing dementia in old age.
This study by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH/FHI) analysed the marital status of people aged 44 to 68 years over a 24-year period. They found that a person's marital status impacts their chances of clinical diagnosis of dementia or mild cognitive impairment after the age of 70.
Among their subjects, they found that divorced and single people had a high incidence of decline in cognitive abilities.
Vegard Skirbekk, one of the researchers behind the study, says that this link between dementia and a person's marital status could be about having someone to help you cope with life and its stresses.
Skirbekk says that being married means we are not alone in the face of stress and have someone to talk to and share our burdens with.
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This, as per him, helps "you cope better with adversity and as a result, you’re less subject to stress. A partner represents a security that provides a buffer."
Without the "buffer," we leave our brains open to an inflammatory stress hormone called cortisol, which can lead to brain damage over time.
But apparently, this is not the only way a marriage helps you avoid the risk of brain-related diseases. Living with a partner generally helps you develop healthy patterns. As Skirbekk puts it, if a doctor tells you that you're overweight, you can replace them, but "it's not as easy to change your spouse."
SCMP reports that, as per the researcher, "men are probably the greatest beneficiaries of a marital arrangement."
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Previous studies have also suggested that long romantic partnerships serve a protective role. A 2018 meta-study which was based on 15 individual studies also reached the same conclusion and theorised that being married reduces the risk of dementia.
Another research, this one from 2020, concluded that divorced/widowed individuals, especially men, had a higher risk of dementia. There is more evidence that points the same way. A survey from the year 2019 found that of the 120,000 American men surveyed, the married ones were healthier.
(With inputs from agencies)
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