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- Title
Associations of Widowhood and β-Amyloid With Cognitive Decline in Cognitively Unimpaired Older Adults.
- Authors
Biddle, Kelsey D.; Jacobs, Heidi I. L.; d'Oleire Uquillas, Federico; Zide, Benjamin S.; Kirn, Dylan R.; Properzi, Michael R.; Rentz, Dorene M.; Johnson, Keith A.; Sperling, Reisa A.; Donovan, Nancy J.
- Abstract
Key Points: Question: Is widowhood a specific risk factor associated with more rapid cognitive decline among cognitively unimpaired older adults with higher levels of brain β-amyloid, the Alzheimer disease biomarker? Findings: In this cohort study of 257 community-dwelling cognitively unimpaired older adults, widowhood and β-amyloid were additively and interactively associated with cognitive decline. These results were independent of demographic factors, cardiovascular disease risk, depression, health-related behaviors, and social support factors. Meaning: These findings suggest that widowhood may be an understudied risk factor for cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer disease and highlight the need for increased research and clinical attention to this high-risk group. This cohort study evaluates whether widowhood status and amyloid-β level are additively or interactively associated with cognitive decline among cognitively unimpaired older adults. Importance: To reduce the rising incidence of clinical impairment due to Alzheimer disease, it is essential to define older adults at highest risk. Widowhood may be an unrecognized factor contributing to accelerated clinical progression along the Alzheimer disease pathway among cognitively unimpaired older adults. Objective: To determine whether widowhood status and level of brain β-amyloid (ie, the Alzheimer disease pathologic protein) are additively or interactively associated with cognitive decline among cognitively unimpaired older adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cohort study, 257 married, widowed, and unmarried (ie, never married, divorced, or separated) participants from the Harvard Aging Brain Study longitudinal cohort underwent baseline evaluation of neocortical β-amyloid levels using Pittsburgh compound B positron emission tomography and 4 annual cognitive assessments. Data were collected from September 2010 to February 2017 and analyzed from July 2018 to July 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures: Cognitive performance was measured using the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite. Results: Of the 257 participants, 153 (59.5%) were women, and the mean (SD) age was 73.5 (6.1) years; 145 participants (56.4%) were married (66 [45.5%] women), 77 (30.0%) were unmarried (56 [72.7%] women), and 35 (13.6%) were widowed (31 [88.6%] women). Compared with married participants, widowed participants demonstrated worsening cognitive performance after adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic status, depression, and β-amyloid levels (β = −0.11; 95% CI, −0.19 to −0.04; P =.002) with no difference observed between married and unmarried participants. Furthermore, widowed participants with higher baseline β-amyloid levels exhibited steeper cognitive decline (β = −0.22; 95% CI, −0.42 to −0.03; P =.02), indicating both independent and interactive associations of β-amyloid levels and widowhood with cognition. In a secondary model using dichotomous β-amyloid–marital status groupings, the rate of cognitive decline among widowed participants with high β-amyloid was nearly 3 times faster than among married participants with high β-amyloid (widowed, high β-amyloid: β, −0.33; 95% CI, −0.46 to −0.19; P <.001; married, high β-amyloid: β, −0.12; 95% CI, −0.18 to −0.01; P <.001). Conclusions and Relevance: In a sample of cognitively unimpaired older adults, being widowed was associated with accelerated β-amyloid–related cognitive decline during 3 years. Cognitively unimpaired, widowed older adults were particularly susceptible to Alzheimer disease clinical progression, emphasizing the need for increased research attention and evidenced-based interventions for this high-risk group.
- Subjects
COGNITION disorder risk factors; ALZHEIMER'S disease; AMYLOID; BIOMARKERS; BRAIN; CONFIDENCE intervals; FISHER exact test; MARITAL status; SOCIAL skills; POSITRON emission tomography; WIDOWHOOD; SOCIAL support; SOCIOECONOMIC factors; INDEPENDENT living; GERIATRIC Depression Scale; DATA analysis software; ODDS ratio; KRUSKAL-Wallis Test; OLD age
- Publication
JAMA Network Open, 2020, pe200121
- ISSN
2574-3805
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.0121