A new study conducted by the researchers in the UK has revealed that your relationship status plays a direct role in determining the risks of developing dementia. The researchers combined the data from 15 studies which looked at more than 812,000 people from around the world and found that married people are at lesser risk of developing dementia in their life when compared to divorcees, widows, and people who have never married.
The study team was led by Andrew Sommerlad, a geriatric psychiatrist, and Wellcome Trust Research Fellow. Sommerlad along with his team found that people who are never married have a 42% higher risk of developing dementia than those who are married. On the other hand, widowed people have 20% higher risk of developing dementia in their life.
According to the study, getting married will lead to a different level of social engagement and interpersonal interaction, which will result in the overall improvement of a person's cognitive reserve. Experts describe cognitive reserve as the person's resilience to withstand the damages of the brain without showing the symptoms of dementia.
"We don't think that it is marriage itself or wearing a wedding ring which reduces people's risk of dementia. Instead, our research suggests that the possible protective effect is linked to various lifestyle factors which are known to accompany marriage, such as living a generally healthier lifestyle and having more social stimulation as a result of living with a spouse or partner," said Andrew Sommerlad, reports CNN.
The stress level of divorced and widowed people will be more, and as a result, they will stay aloof from a healthier lifestyle, thus creating negative impacts on their brain's function. The study report also tells about the vitality of staying socially active to combat the risks of dementia. The researchers also believe that more studies should be conducted to know about the things the unwed and widowed people should do to prevent the risks of dementia.
