widows face an increased risk of alzheimer's
even without those levels of beta-amyloid accumulation ...
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researchers have found that losing a significant other may be linked to a type of cognitive decline associated with alzheimer’s disease. a new study says that over a three year period, cognitive abilities decline three times faster in widows with high levels of beta-amyloid (a key factor for alzheimer’s) than in married people with higher levels.even without those levels of beta-amyloid accumulation and no signs of cognitive decline, widowed women were at a greater risk for dementia than widowed men.the study looked at 257 older adults living in their own homes who showed no sign of cognitive issues at the beginning of the study. of those, 35 were widowed: 31 women and four men. the rest were couples, 145 married and 77 unmarried.at the start of the study, all participants were tested to determine their beta-amyloid levels and completed a cognitive test. the participants had additional cognitive testing at one year intervals for three years.while there was no difference in brain functioning between the married and unmarried couples, the results were different for widows. the widowed adults had more cognitive decline compared to their married/unmarried counterparts regardless of age, sex, socio-economic status or depression. the decline was three times as fast for those with existing beta-amyloid plaques.in the u.s., women are more likely to survive a spouse than men. u.s. census data shows that 43 per cent of widows between 75 and 84 years and 72 per cent of widows 85 years or older are women, compared to 15 per cent and 35 per cent of men. the study also notes that alzheimer’s strikes more women than men, suggesting that widowhood may explain some of the discrepancy between the sexes.the researchers concluded that “widowhood is an underrecognized risk factor associated with alzheimer’s-related cognitive decline and impairment,” findings that indicate a need for more support systems and resources for this high-risk group. don’t miss the latest on covid-19, reopening and life. subscribe to healthing’s daily newsletter covid life
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