It is believed that married people have better health - a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke, and a higher life expectancy.

It is believed that married people have better health - a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke, and a higher life expectancy.

But what about dementia? Sample: 24107 participants with an average age of 72 years without dementia.

Participants were tracked for 18 years or until a diagnosis of dementia. There were four groups: married, divorced, widowed, and never married.

Shown: divorced and never-married individuals have a lower risk of dementia compared to married and widowed individuals. The effect is stronger for men. Divorced and never-married individuals were less likely to progress from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. The reason is not that married individuals are more likely to see a doctor because a partner would notice symptoms - all participants underwent annual health monitoring. The possible reason is more complex relationships between marital status and the risk of developing dementia.

Like if you'll never get married now.

Link to an article.