New Study Finds Married People Are Up To 74% More Likely To Develop Dementia Under One Specific Condition - Bored Panda

What the report says

Bored Panda reported on a new study, published July 20, 2026, in JAMA, that examined whether a person’s dementia risk changes when their spouse has the condition. Drawing on data from about 1 million people in Taiwan, the study found an association: women whose partners had dementia had a 74% higher risk of developing it, while men had a 69% higher risk, compared with couples in which neither partner had dementia.

The article noted that, after accounting for factors such as age, the increased risk translated to an estimated 2.75 additional dementia cases per 100 women and 3.49 additional cases per 100 men over five years. Researchers emphasized that dementia is not contagious. Instead, the article said the pattern may reflect partners’ similar backgrounds, shared habits and environments, and the health effects of caregiving.

Bored Panda cited caregiving as a major area of concern. It referenced a 2020 Population Reference Bureau report saying spouses become primary caregivers in about a quarter of dementia cases, and a Family Caregiver Alliance figure that 30% to 40% of dementia caregivers experience depression or emotional stress, with about one-third also reporting declining health.

The report placed the findings in a broader public-health context, noting WHO data that dementia is a leading cause of death and disability among older adults worldwide. It also mentioned public figures including Emma Heming Willis and Jay Leno, who have spoken publicly about the strain of caring for spouses with dementia, as examples of the wider caregiving burden the study may help illuminate.