Want to avoid dementia? You need this ‘very powerful’ relationship in your life

Interestingly, only in Asian countries did being married or in a relationship seem to reduce the risk of dementia.

Samtani says this may be related to greater stigma and ostracism related to being unmarried in Asian culture.

In contrast, being married was not an important predictor in Western cohorts, but regular community engagement and feeling supported socially was, points out associate professor Fiona Kumfor, an expert in social cognition and dementia at the University of Sydney.

“There is increasing recognition that we cannot take a one size fits all approach, and people from different cultural backgrounds may benefit from different types of support,” says Kumfor, who was not involved with the study. “This is particularly relevant for people living in Australia, where we know that one-third of people were born overseas and one-fifth speak a language other than English at home.”

Why is it that our relationships are so protective of our brains?

“Good social connections are linked to reducing the negative impact of stress by down-regulating our body’s response to stress,” says co-author, Saly Mahalingam.

“Stress can negatively impact our memory and contribute to faster cognitive decline. Good social connections are also involved in increasing and maintaining cognitive reserve, which is our ability to perform our usual brain functions in the face of damage to our brain.”

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Being chronically stressed leads to inflammation and chronic production of adrenaline, which can cause multiple health conditions including dementia.

There is also the social contagion effect where we pick up the health habits of those we’re closest to. If they are walking or cycling or going to the gym, we’re more likely to do those activities too. By providing cognitive stimulation and promoting cognitive reserve, our relationships also make a difference.

For longevity, what mattered most was community engagement and living with other people, which is significant when about a quarter of older Australians live alone.

Samtani suggests this is because when we are living with others, they are more likely to spot changes in our health and encourage us to see a doctor. Being involved with others also keeps us cognitively stimulated:

“So doing activities, whether it’s volunteering or playing card games or being involved in Rotary or whatever community cultural activities keeps your brain active, and your body active as well.”

Dementia affects approximately 44 million people worldwide and by 2050, as the population ages, the prevalence of dementia is set to triple.

Yet, social engagement is among the 12 modifiable risk factors that account for about 40 per cent of worldwide dementias: exercise, diet (i.e. midlife obesity), diabetes, high blood pressure, head injury, smoking, air pollution, depression, excessive alcohol, hearing impairment, education and social isolation.

And although some risk is genetic, cognitive decline is not inevitable, Samtani promises:

“Our message for everyone is to try to meet with friends or family at least monthly and try to open your heart to someone so that you know you are not carrying all the stress inside you, and you can feel lighter, more connected, and happier, and live a longer life.”

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