The Off Topic Topic

[crazy canuck]

Spousal Loss Linked to Higher Risk of Dementia, Mortality among Men, but Not Women

That one is interesting.

Tl;Dr: women live happily ever after...

One of the many reasons I insist on Mrs. CC outliving me

[Syt]

Could it also be that many in that generation women are accustomed to keeping a household running while men often are not?

[viper37]

Could it also be that many in that generation women are accustomed to keeping a household running while men often are not?

Likely that.  Men end up unable to live alone.

[crazy canuck]

Could it also be that many in that generation women are accustomed to keeping a household running while men often are not?

Likely not. Experiencing and learning new things is also associated with decreased dementia.

The more likely answer is social isolation and the way men and women experience that after the death of a spouse.

[crazy canuck]

Could it also be that many in that generation women are accustomed to keeping a household running while men often are not?

Likely that.  Men end up unable to live alone.

Men are incapable of learning to cook and clean? 

[Richard Hakluyt]

I just checked the link and the study was of Japanese people. They have a pretty sexist/traditional society over there; so much so that many women are avoiding marriage and children entirely; I would like to see similar research for Brits/Yanks/ Germans etc etc before drawing too many conclusions.

[crazy canuck]

There is also a research in North America showing the difference in mortality rates. I haven't seen a study that talks about dementia though.

[Valmy]

There is also a research in North America showing the difference in mortality rates. I haven't seen a study that talks about dementia though.

They tend to live longer than us just in general though.

[crazy canuck]

Yes, and the research in question was examining the impact of one variable on those life spans.

[Valmy]

Yes, and the research in question was examining the impact of one variable on those life spans.

Did it? It seems to suggest other factors, including some specific to Japan. And also seems like it focussed almost exclusively on the elderly "Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study"

Does the same hold true to men who lose their spouse in their 50s?

[Tamas]

So husbands are likely to be at least a bit older than their wives while men have noticeably shorter average lifespans than women, I believe.

So wouldn't just these two facts naturally result in the statical phenomenon in the study?

[crazy canuck]

Yes, and the research in question was examining the impact of one variable on those life spans.

Did it? It seems to suggest other factors, including some specific to Japan. And also seems like it focussed almost exclusively on the elderly "Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study"

Does the same hold true to men who lose their spouse in their 50s?

The research I was talking about.   You know the post you responded to 

[Neil]

All the research I saw, when I was interested in such things, pointed to a significant drop in life expectancy for widowers, even younger ones. 

[DGuller]

So husbands are likely to be at least a bit older than their wives while men have noticeably shorter average lifespans than women, I believe.

So wouldn't just these two facts naturally result in the statical phenomenon in the study?

Mortality studies are done on "all else being equal" basis.  If a reputable study says that there is higher mortality for a widower, it means that for the same age and health status, a man who is a widower is more likely to die within the next year than a man who is not a widower.

[Syt]

My takeaway so far is that it's good I never married, because I can't become a doomed widower.