Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Married Senior Citizens Six Times More Likely to Get
Dementia if Partner Has It
Husbands appear at higher risk than wives says
12-year study of 1,221 senior married couples
May 6, 2010 - Older married adults whose spouse has
dementia are at significantly higher risk for developing dementia
themselves, compared to similar older married adults whose spouse never
develops dementia. This is the key finding of a study published today in
the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Informal dementia caregiving for a spouse is a
natural marital obligation, and spousal caregivers often report positive
feelings toward caregiving, yet it is difficult, requiring time, energy
and usually physical exertion.
Dementia caregivers have been shown to provide more
assistance, and to report more personal sacrifices and stress, than
those who care for physically-impaired elderly without dementia.
While
there are many published studies showing that dementia caregivers are at
higher risk for health problems and depression, none have examined risk
for dementia in the caregiver.
The 2,442 subjects (1,221 married couples) aged 65
and older from Northern Utah, USA, without dementia at onset were
studied for up to 12 years to monitor for onset of dementia in husbands,
wives or both.
During this time, 125 cases of dementia only in the
husband were diagnosed, 70 only in the wife, and 30 where both spouses
were diagnosed (60 people).
The researchers, led by Dr. Maria Norton of Utah
State University, USA, adjusted for socioeconomic status, a significant
predictor of many health-related outcomes including dementia to control
for shared environmental exposures that might influence risk for
dementia in both spouses.
The results showed that incident dementia was
significantly associated with older age, and having a spouse with
dementia. Participants with a spouse who developed dementia were at a
six times increased risk of developing dementia, net of the effect of
age, gender, APOE genotype, and socioeconomic status, with higher risk
in men (11.9) than women (3.7).
"Future studies are needed to determine how much of
this association is due to caregiver stress compared to a shared
environment," said Norton.
"On the positive side, the majority of these
individuals, with spouses who develop dementia, did not themselves
develop dementia, therefore more research is needed to explore which
factors distinguish those who are more vulnerable."
"Given the significant public health concern of
Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and the upcoming shift in
population age composition, continued research into the causes of
dementia is urgent," concluded Norton.
Ohio State Neurologist says it takes less than 15
minutes to complete, is a reliable tool for evaluating cognitive
abilities