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Being married has been linked to lots of positive health outcomes in the pastCredit: Getty<\/p>\n
Strong, supportive connections often lead to better health<\/a> outcomes, studies have shown.<\/p>\n For example, research published at the end of last year found married people are less likely to be depressed<\/a>. <\/p>\n And a study in 2023 found having a long-term partner can slash your risk of dying from heart failure<\/a>.<\/p>\n But now a new study has suggested you ditch everything you know about marriage<\/a> and its health benefits. <\/p>\n Research published in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia<\/a> studied dementia among more than 24,000 adults over 18 years. <\/p>\n All of the unmarried adults \u2013 whether\u00a0divorced\u00a0or widowed or never married \u2013 were found to be at lower risk of developing dementia<\/a> than the married adults.<\/p>\n Their risk was at least 50 per cent lower.<\/p>\n Those who had always been single (never married) had the lowest risk of all, though the difference between them and the other unmarried groups was not statistically significant.<\/p>\n In the study, 24,107 participants between the ages of 50 and 104 (average was 72) were assessed every year over the 18 year period. <\/p>\n Each time, they undertook neuropsychological tests of cognitive status and were evaluated by clinicians. <\/p>\n The results showed singletons were less at risk than the married people for dementia, Alzheimer’s<\/a> or Lewy body dementia.<\/p>\n The 14 science-backed ways to prevent dementia<\/p>\n At the start of the study, some of the participants already had mild cognitive impairment. <\/p>\n Again, it was among the unmarried that their mild impairment was less likely to progress to dementia.<\/a><\/p>\n Even those who became widowed during the study were less likely to develop dementia than those who stayed married. <\/p>\n The researchers also looked at other factors that could influence the development of dementia, such as age, sex, race, education, and smoking<\/a>. <\/p>\n But the key finding emerged over and over again – unmarried people are less likely to develop dementia than married people. <\/p>\n