Having a spouse with dementia may increase your own risk of condition, study finds

BLUF

A large study found spouses of people with dementia face about 70 percent higher dementia risk, likely due to shared traits, lifestyles and caregiving stress. Higher income and more children were linked to lower risk.

Learning Outcomes 

• Describe the relationship between dementia risk and spousal exposure to dementia, including the study's finding that spouses of people with dementia have a significantly increased risk of developing the condition themselves.
• Explain the key factors that may contribute to increased dementia risk among spouses.
• Identify protective and modifiable factors associated with dementia risk.