Research reveals losing a partner raises Alzheimer’s risk

By Stephen Beech

The death of a partner and financial stress increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to new research.

Certain "stressful" life events can impact brain health differently, depending on gender and educational level, say scientists.

Men seem to be more negatively affected by the loss of a partner and unemployment ,while women seem more vulnerable to financial difficulties, suggest the findings.

Grief over the loss of a partner was linked to alterations in biological processes associated with Alzheimer's disease, while unemployment and financial loss have been associated with structural differences in the brain.

The study, published in the journal Neurology, was led by scientists at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) in Spain.

The 1,200 participants did not have cognitive impairment, but most had a family history of Alzheimer's disease.

Study first author Eleni Palpatzis, a doctoral researcher at ISGlobal, said: “Using magnetic resonance imaging, we studied the differences in grey matter volume in the brain and analysed Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid, such as beta-amyloid protein.”

She explained that, in Alzheimer's disease, changes in the brain, such as alterations in the levels of certain proteins, can occur years before the first symptoms appear.

For example, a lower ratio of amyloid beta 42/40 is observed; this ratio compares the concentrations of two forms of the protein.

Since amyloid beta 42 is more likely to aggregate in the brain, a decrease in the ratio in the cerebrospinal fluid usually reflects greater amyloid beta deposition in brain tissue, making it an important early indicator of Alzheimer's disease.

Higher levels of phosphorylated tau, which causes neuronal damage, and neurogranin, which increases when connections between neurons are lost, are also found.

The death of a partner was associated with changes in those biomarkers: a lower amyloid beta 42/40 ratio, an effect that was more pronounced in men, and higher levels of phosphorylated tau and neurogranin, effects that were more pronounced in women.

All of the effects were more pronounced in people with lower levels of education.

Conversely, unemployment and economic losses were associated with a lower grey matter volume in key brain regions responsible for emotional and cognitive regulation.

Gender differences were also evident in the effects; unemployment affected men's brains more, while economic losses had a greater structural impact on women's brains.

A previous study by the same research team showed that exposure to stressful life events in middle age can increase vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease.

However, the prevalence and impact of stressful life events vary according to certain social determinants, such as gender and education.

Women and people with lower levels of education experience more stressful life events, and it is also in those groups that the prevalence of Alzheimer's is highest.

The research showed that different stressful situations affect men and women differently.

Study senior author Dr. Eider Arenaza-Urquijo, of ISGlobal, said: “Men seem to be more negatively affected by the loss of a partner and unemployment.

"This may be because men tend to have fewer close relationships, making the loss of a partner more isolating, so the loss of a partner is more isolating for them, and because unemployment carries a greater social stigma for men.

“On the other hand, women seem more vulnerable to financial difficulties, which affect grey matter volume."

She added: "This could be related to the fact that women have historically had less financial security, and that they tend to report higher levels of economic concern, which negatively impacts their overall mental well-being."