Spousal Dementia Exposure and Risk of Dementia
Shi-Heng Wang1,2, Mei-Chen Lin1, Chun Chieh Fan3,4
1National Center for Geriatrics and Welfare Research, National Health Research Institutes, Yunlin, Taiwan.
JAMA Network Open
|July 20, 2026
Summary
Spouses of individuals with dementia face a higher risk of developing dementia themselves. This increased dementia risk varies based on socioeconomic and family factors, underscoring the importance of household context in risk assessment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Previous research indicates spouses of dementia patients may have an elevated dementia risk.
- However, data on subgroup variations and absolute risk are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if spouses of dementia patients have a higher risk of developing dementia.
- To determine if demographic, socioeconomic, and family factors modify this association.
Main Methods:
- Nationwide population-based cohort study utilizing Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (1998-2022).
- Matched 1:4 ratio of dementia-exposed spouses to unexposed controls based on birth year, sex, income, and urbanicity.
- Cox regression and g-computation were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 5-year absolute risk differences for all-cause dementia, Alzheimer disease, and vascular dementia.
Main Results:
- The study included over 955,000 individuals.
- Spouses of individuals with dementia exhibited a significantly higher risk for all-cause dementia (HRs: 1.74 for women, 1.69 for men) and specific dementia types.
- A 5-year adjusted risk difference of 2.75 pp for women and 3.49 pp for men was observed. Relative risks were higher at younger ages, while absolute risk differences increased with age. Higher income or more children attenuated the association.
Conclusions:
- Spouses of individuals with dementia have an increased risk of developing dementia.
- The association between spousal dementia and dementia risk is influenced by socioeconomic and family contexts.
- Household context is crucial for dementia risk assessment.
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