Losing a spouse can be a devastating blow to one’s heart and mind, according to recent research.
The study found that the mental acuity of the surviving spouse begins to decline after the death of a spouse.
This study also found that widowed individuals with high levels of the Alzheimer’s disease marker beta-amyloid plaque were three times more likely to experience cognitive decline than their non-widowed counterparts.
Dr. Nancy Donovan, the chief of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, explained that “the associations of widowhood and amyloid were compounded, not simply additive, indicating that widowhood is a specific risk factor for cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s disease.”
It’s possible that being widowed may play a role in cognitive decline, according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s director of scientific engagement, Rebecca Edelmayer.
When it comes to widowhood and the increased risk of cognitive decline, Donovan said that the specific mechanisms by which this occurs are not known.
A close sibling or adult child may help protect widows from cognitive decline, but Donovan’s study didn’t find this to be true.
There are numerous benefits to being married, such as providing emotional support and companionship, promoting healthy habits, and expanding social networks.
Exercise, social engagement, cognitive stimulation, a healthy diet and stress management are all beneficial for older adults who have lost a spouse. Donovan recommends these activities for people who have lost a spouse.
An internist at Northwell Health in Manhasset, N.Y., Dr. Marzena Gieniusz says she sees a lot of cognitive decline in widowed spouses.
Having a spouse, she believes, is a “protective factor that is lost when the spouse passes away,” she said.
Gieniusz, who wasn’t involved in the study, says it’s possible that the surviving spouse already had the beginnings of cognitive declines, but they were hidden.
Death of a spouse may reveal mild cognitive impairment that was previously hidden, according to her.
“It makes sense,” Gieniusz said, “that having a spouse provides an additional layer of support.” Life is easier when two people are involved and it may also slow cognitive decline.
When a spouse dies, people feel more isolated. Gieniusz opined, “I’m sure that contributes to decline in cognition.”
Nearly 260 elderly participants in the Harvard Aging Brain Study were studied by Donovan and her colleagues. Everyone in the study had their brain beta-amyloid levels measured at the beginning.
For four years, researchers tracked the cognitive abilities of the participants.
Those who had been widowed had lower cognitive performance than those who had been married or single, the researchers discovered.
Memory loss was three times faster among widowed people with high beta-amyloid levels compared to married people. After taking into account age, sex, socioeconomic status, and depression, this finding remained significant.
The study was published in the journal JAMA Network Open on February 26.
Studies like this one can help us better understand how to prevent cognitive decline, Edelmayer said.
“Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia must be thoroughly investigated if we are to develop the appropriate support systems and care options for those who suffer from them. We also need to get a better handle on the types of risk factors that are causing the disease,” Edelmayer stated.