Spouses of People With Dementia Face Higher Risk Themselves, Study Finds
Summary
A large study in Taiwan found that spouses of people with dementia are more likely to develop dementia themselves. Women spouses had a 74% higher risk, and men spouses had a 69% higher risk compared to those whose partners did not have dementia.Key Facts
- The study used Taiwan's health database covering nearly 1 million married people from 1998 to 2022.
- Women with spouses who have dementia face a 74% higher chance of developing dementia.
- Men in the same situation face a 69% higher risk.
- The risk applies to major dementia types like Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.
- Younger spouses showed a greater relative increase in risk, though the absolute risk difference grew with age.
- Lower income and fewer children were linked to a stronger connection between a spouse’s dementia and the other spouse’s risk.
- Caregivers often face stress and neglect self-care, which can contribute to their own health decline.
- Stress is a known factor that can worsen brain health and lead to unhealthy habits like poor diet, smoking, and inactivity.
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