Cognitive Decline May Be More Pronounced in Widows

A study in JAMA Network Open suggests that people who are widowed late in life may be at a higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia and cognitive decline, reports United Press International . The researchers analyzed 257 married, widowed, and unmarried adults and found that widowed participants "demonstrated worsening cognitive performance" and elevated beta-amyloid protein levels. One hundred fifty-three participants were women, and the mean age was about 74. Overall, 145 subjects were married, and 35 were widowed. No differences between married and unmarried participants were seen in terms of worsening cognitive performance or beta-amyloid levels. "We would recommend for widows what we know to be beneficial overall for older adults: exercise, social engagement, cognitively stimulating activities, a healthy diet, managing stress levels, attending to mental health and reducing cardiovascular risk factors," said Brigham and Women's Hospital's Nancy J. Donovan. She also emphasized the importance of learning which biological processes and other variables underpin the link between widowhood and cognitive decline.