Being Single in Midlife Could Raise Risk for Deme...(risk of dementia while those who were di...),Health

It's not clear why being single is riskier for the brain. "Cognitive and intellectual stimulation has been reported to be protective against dementia in general," said study author Krister Hakansson, of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. "Living in a couple means that you are confronted with other ideas, perspectives and needs. You have to compromise, make decisions and solve problems together with someone else, which is more complicated and challenging. It is probably easier to get stuck in your own habits and routines if you live by yourself."

But this theory only partially explains the results since those who were widowed and didn't remarry had a much higher risk of dementia, Hakansson noted.

In the other study, Israeli researchers looked at about 9,000 participants in a multiple-year study of heart disease among male civil servants in Israel.

Those who reported that they were most likely to "ruminate" about family difficulties in midlife were more likely to suffer from dementia in old age. More than one in five of those who ruminated the least had signs of senility, compared to 14 percent of those who "usually ruminate."

Those who ruminated the most about work difficulties were also the least likely to suffer from dementia.

Why the difference? "One possible explanation could be that some forms of rumination may be associated with effective problem-solving and are a form of cognitive activity," said study co-author Dr. Ramit Ravona-Springer, of the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan. "Cognitive activity has been demonstrated to be associated with decreased risk for dementia."

More information

Learn more about Alzheimer's from the Alzheimer's Association.

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