Shocking survey results show married people have a significantly higher risk of dementia
Marriage is generally thought to have a positive effect on health, as it's associated with longer life and a lower risk of heart disease, but a new study looking at marital status and dementia risk, which followed people for up to 18 years, has found that unmarried people have a lower risk of dementia than those who stayed married.
Marital status and risk of dementia over 18 years: Surprising findings from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center - Karakose - 2025 - Alzheimer's & Dementia - Wiley Online Library
Surprising Findings From New Research About Dementia and Marriage | MedPage Today
https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/dementia/114820
Being married linked to increased risk of dementia – new study
https://theconversation.com/being-married-linked-to-increased-risk-of-dementia-new-study-253875
In a study published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Alzheimer's & Dementia on March 20, 2025, a research team led by Selin Karakosse of the Florida State University College of Medicine analyzed data from a total of 24,107 married and unmarried people collected from 42 dementia clinics in the United States.
The participants were 14,369 women and 9,738 men, aged between 50 and 104 years, with an average age of 71. Of these, 4,853 participants were diagnosed with dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease or Lewy body dementia, over the 18.44-year study period.
A feature of this study is that participants were categorized not simply into whether they were married or not, but into four categories: married (15,409 people), unmarried (1,339 people), divorced (3,360 people), and widowed (3,939 people). Due to the small sample size, 261 people who were married but separated were counted as 'divorced,' and 423 people who were living with a common-law partner were counted as 'married.'
The main survey data is tabulated below:
| Did not develop dementia | Dementia developed | total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19,254 (79.9%) | 4,853 (20.1%) | 24,107 | |
| sex | |||
| woman | 11,862 (61.6%) | 2,507 (51.7%) | 14,369 (59.6%) |
| male | 7,392 (38.4%) | 2,346 (48.3%) | 9,738 (40.4%) |
| Household composition | |||
| Living alone | 5,675 (29.5%) | 1,168 (24.1%) | 6,843 (28.4%) |
| Has a roommate | 13,544 (70.5%) | 3,681 (75.9%) | 17,225 (71.6%) |
| Marital status | |||
| married | 12,020 (62.4%) | 3,389 (69.8%) | 15,409 (63.9%) |
| bereavement | 3,075 (16.0%) | 864 (17.8%) | 3,939 (16.3%) |
| divorce | 2,927 (15.2%) | 433 (8.9%) | 3,360 (13.9%) |
| Unmarried | 1,232 (6.4%) | 167 (3.4%) | 1,339 (5.8%) |
The research team then analyzed and compared the dementia risk of three types of singles and married people, finding that compared to married participants, widowed people had a 27% lower dementia risk, divorced people had a 34% lower dementia risk, and unmarried people had a 40% lower dementia risk. This trend was similar for both men and women, and a supplementary analysis of people whose marital status changed during the study period showed that those who lost their spouses had a lower dementia risk than those who remained married.
In addition, after taking into account factors such as education and genetics, as well as factors associated with dementia risk such as depression, the statistical difference between married and widowed people disappeared, but unmarried people and divorced people still had a 24% lower risk of dementia and a 17% lower risk, respectively.
From this, the research team concluded that 'single people, especially divorced or unmarried people, have a lower risk of developing dementia than those who remain married.'
'These findings call into question the commonly held belief that marriage protects against cognitive decline and dementia,' says Karakoce. 'Contrary to expectations, our study found that married older adults have a higher risk of dementia than unmarried, divorced, or widowed older adults.'
It is not clear why such an unexpected result occurred. In their paper, the research team pointed out the influence of an effect called 'confirmation bias.' Confirmation bias is the phenomenon in which when a married person's cognitive function declines, their partner quickly notices it and encourages them to see a doctor, which makes them more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.
However, all of the study participants saw their doctors annually, so even if they were single, they would likely have had a specialist spot the early signs of dementia, making this a weaker explanation for the findings.
Previous research has shown that the health benefits of marriage only come from a high-quality marriage. In other words, there is substantial evidence that unhappy married people have a higher mortality risk than single people, and this may have a similar effect on dementia risk.
Additionally, limitations of the study include that the sample was approximately 80% white, which is not representative of the racial makeup of the US, and that factors such as economic stress and social connections were not taken into account, which may have influenced the findings.
Taking these points into consideration, Dr. Karakosse said, 'This discovery has the potential to change our understanding of the relationship between marital status and dementia risk. Previous research has emphasized the benefits of marriage. However, married people tend to have smaller social networks, be less independent, and may experience stressful situations such as caregiving, which may contribute to their dementia risk.' He suggested that dependence on one's partner and the burden of caring for one's spouse may increase the risk of dementia.
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in Science, Posted by log1l_ks