Marriage

  • The Swedish patient register evaluated 2,288,489 people aged 50-74 years old for dementia and marital status over a 10 year time. Divorced or single people had a higher risk of dementia (1.79 and 1.71 hazard ratio respectively) Men who were divorced had a higher rate than divorced women (2.1 vs 1.7) (Sundstrom, 2015)
  • A large meta-analysis of 15 studies covering 812,047 patients showed an elevated risk of dementia in lifetime singles of 42%, widowed of 20% and no change for divorced. (Chen, 2017) (Sommerlad, 2018)
  • In Women, researchers found a 12% decrease in dementia among women with 3 or more births compared to having 1 or 2. There is speculation about hormones and/or the woman's health. Healthier woman can carry more babies? There was a 9% increased risk for every miscarriage and a 20% increased risk for women who entered menopause at 45 or younger. Another study showed a 5.5% decrease in dementia with every child birth. (aarp) Women who started their period after 16 were 31% more likely to get dementia. Having more than 5 children was linked with a higher risk of dementia (70% increased risk). (qz)(cnn)
  • A large 1.2 million person cohort in Denmark was assessed over a 38 year period for pregnancy loss and dementia risk. Stillbirth was the only pregnancy component mentioned to increase dementia risk (86%) (Saima, 2019)


why are there no studies showing birth control pill risk with dementia - either good or bad? There is evidence that the pill may shrink the hypothalamus (livescience) why are there no huge epidemiological studies with the UK NIH or the swedish nations comparing number of births and dementia? Or on Rx drug usage in those huge databases?

Maternal health and infant nutrition

We may start out with higher/lower plasmalogen concentrations based on maternal/infant nutrition? DHA, choline, and serine are all involved with plasmalogen synthesis. Plasmalogen levels may be related to behavioral abnormalities and may be correlated with maternal nutrition. (Hino, 2019) DHA levels are also dependent on maternal intake and the first two years of nutrition. (Lauritzen, 2016)(Bradbury, 2011)(Swanson, 2012)(Kuratko, 2013)(Singh, 2005)(Mun, 2019)

If the mother had a set amount of DHA/minerals available in her body and it was depleted with each birth, then the last children in the family should always be the unhealthiest, most troubled, and subsequently have the most AD in late adulthood. Unless pregnancy just depletes her reserves and health, preferentially providing for baby. Having more than 5 children was linked with a higher risk of dementia (70% increased risk), but having 3 was more protective than having 1 or 2. (qz)(cnn)

Maternal age and birth order had no affect on the risk of dementia (Kenesivich, 1982) Childhood risk factors - nutrition, trauma, injury, poverty, infection, stress, lead exposure and more - may be related to AD risk in adulthood.(Borenstein, 2006)(Miller, 2008)(Barker, 1986)

Pregnancy and lactation decrease maternal tissue levels of DHA unless the diet contained adequate or supplemental DHA. (Lamontagne-Kam, 2018) This may be partially to blame for the higher AD incidence in women.

Breastfeeding predicts mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in adolescents - which is a marker for health and longevity (Cosemans, 2020)