Spouses May Raise Dementia Risk by Up to 70 Percent: Study
Could your partner's dementia affect your own brain health? A new study suggests it might.
A large new study, published in JAMA Network Open, has found that people whose husband or wife develops dementia may also have a higher risk of developing dementia themselves.
Dementia is not a single disease. It is a group of symptoms that includes memory loss, confusion, poor thinking, and difficulty carrying out everyday activities. These symptoms are caused by brain conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or damage from a stroke.
The study analyzed health records of nearly one million married people in Taiwan using the country's National Health Insurance database. Researchers followed participants from 1998 to 2022 to understand whether a spouse's dementia affected the other partner's risk.
The results showed that women whose spouse developed dementia had a 74% higher risk of developing dementia themselves. Men in the same situation had a 69% higher risk, compared with couples where neither partner had dementia.
The researchers say there could be several reasons for this link. Couples often share similar lifestyles, eating habits, physical activity levels, and environmental exposures, all of which can influence brain health. In addition, caring for a partner with dementia can be physically and emotionally stressful, and long-term stress may also affect memory and thinking.
However, the study does not prove that one spouse's dementia causes the other partner to develop the condition. It only shows an association.
The researchers say more studies are needed to better understand the reasons behind this connection. Future research will examine factors such as caregiving burden, education, lifestyle habits, and other shared experiences that may contribute to the increased risk.
The findings highlight the importance of supporting both people in a couple when one partner is diagnosed with dementia, while also encouraging healthy lifestyle habits that may help protect brain health.
REFERENCE: Wang S, Lin M, Fan CC, Huang W, Hsu C, Wu C. Spousal Dementia Exposure and Risk of Dementia. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(7):e2624175. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.24175
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