Marriage can reduce the risk of dementia, according to a new British scientific study, according to which eternal bachelors and widows are at increased risk of dementia, but not divorced.
Researchers, led by Dr. Andrew Somerland of the Department of Psychiatry at University College London (UCL), who published their findings in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 15 published studies involving more than 800.000 people in Europe, America and Asia.
It was found that, compared to married people, unmarried people have on average 42% higher risk of developing dementia in the future, while widows 20%. No increased risk of divorce was found.
Probably, marriage encourages healthier habits (better diet, less smoking and alcohol, etc.), while one partner takes care of the other's health, something that previous studies have shown.
However, the increased risk for unmarried people may decrease over time (for unknown reasons), as more recent research has shown that the risk of future dementia is increased not by 42% but by 24% on average.