Negative thoughts of bereaved can lead to Alzheimer’s

People over 50 who suffer from negative emotions and disruption when they lose their partners have the highest risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal.

Being widowed or divorced in mid-life carries three times the risk, while singles have double the risk of getting dementia than people who are married or cohabiting, according to a study from researchers in Sweden and Finland.

“Supportive intervention for individuals who have lost a partner might be a promising strategy in preventive health care,” lead researcher Krister Hakansson from Vaxjo University and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm wrote in the study.

He found the dementia and Alzheimer’s disease risk increased if people lost their partners or got divorced. The highest risk occurred in people who lost their partners or got divorced and also had a known genetic risk factor that is associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

“These results add to a growing body of evidence that social factors may help sustain healthy brain functioning,” he said.

Research should now focus on the stress caused by separation and satisfaction with relationships. Unmarried, especially widowed, people could then be targeted for preventive strategies.