Your husband (or wife) may increase your risk of dementia by up to 70% - New York Post

What the report says

The New York Post reported on a new study suggesting that married people whose spouses have dementia may face a substantially higher risk of developing dementia themselves. The article says the research, published Monday, examined nearly 1 million married people in Taiwan and found increased risk compared with married couples in which neither partner had dementia. The reported increase was as high as 74% for women and 69% for men.

The study considered dementia from multiple causes, including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, according to the Post. The association appeared among men and women and across urban, suburban and rural settings. The article also reported that higher income and having more children were linked to somewhat lower risk, though they did not eliminate the spouse-related association.

Researchers cited several possible explanations, the Post reported. One is “assortive mating,” meaning people often choose partners with similar education, income levels and health habits, all of which can shape dementia risk over a lifetime. Couples may also share long-term diet, exercise patterns and living conditions that influence cognitive health.

The Post said researchers also pointed to the stress of caregiving as a possible factor. A spouse caring for a partner with dementia may face depression, chronic stress, isolation or worsening health, which are broader concerns in dementia care. The article frames the findings as adding nuance to prior research showing marriage can support health, while suggesting that dementia risk within couples may be shaped by shared lives and caregiving burdens rather than any contagious process.