Spouses of Dementia Sufferers 6-Times More Likely to Develop Dementia

Married adults who care for a spouse who has dementia have a significantly greater risk of developing dementia themselves, say researchers. Dr Maria Norton of Utah State University and colleagues studied 2442 men and women aged 65 and over for 12 years. None of the participants had dementia at the start of the study. By the end of the study 125 cases of dementia only in the husband were diagnosed, 70 only in the wife, and 30 where both husband and wife (60 people) were diagnosed with the condition. After adjusting for potential confounders, results showed that participants whose spouse had dementia had a 6-fold greater risk for developing dementia, compared to those whose spouses were dementia free. The authors concluded: “The chronic and often severe stress associated with dementia caregiving may exert substantial risk for the development of dementia in spouse caregivers.”