Cardiovascular disease in one spouse increases dementia risk in the other - new study

However, a recent study has shown that this link may extend to married couples as well. Researchers found that after a serious heart or vascular problem, such as a heart attack or stroke, occurs in one spouse, the likelihood of dementia increases significantly in the other spouse.

The study, published in the journal JAMA Neurology, found that spouses whose partners had experienced a cardiovascular event had a 1.32 times higher risk of developing dementia than those whose partners had no such problems.

The study, conducted by specialists from the University of Michigan together with colleagues from Japan, analysed data from more than 90,000 elderly Japanese residents aged 65 years and older. None of the participants had been diagnosed with dementia at the time the observations began. Some people had marriage partners who had suffered a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke, which was the starting point for the analysis.

Researchers have identified several possible reasons for this relationship.

Traumatic events, such as a partner's heart attack or stroke, as well as the possible death of a spouse, can negatively affect the other's cognitive function. In addition, family life with a cardiovascular disease patient is often life changing, which may beaccompanied by increased stress levels and caregiver burden, which also contributes tothe development of dementia.

Despite the significance of these findings, the researchers noted that the patient sample was unbalanced by gender - there were less than 4 per cent of women in the study.

This limits the ability to fully account for gender differences in response to such events. The researchers emphasise the need for further studies with more balanced samples to refine the findings.