Spouses of dementia patients face higher risk, while a model suggests lifespan could near 200 years

A large Taiwanese cohort study involving nearly one million married individuals found that spouses of people diagnosed with dementia had a substantially higher relative risk of developing dementia themselves—about 74% higher for women and 69% higher for men. The absolute risk increase was modest, with 6.47% of women and 9.24% of men whose partners had dementia receiving a diagnosis within five years, compared with 3.72% and 5.75% in matched controls. Researchers emphasized that dementia is not contagious and that the association does not prove causation.

Separately, Russian scientists used a mathematical model to estimate the biological upper limit of human longevity if future medicine could eliminate all aging mechanisms except DNA somatic mutations. Even under that ideal scenario, accumulated DNA mutations would cap median lifespan at roughly 146 to 194 years, with the brain and heart identified as the most vulnerable organs, while the liver showed greater regenerative capacity. The study highlights genetic mutation as the ultimate barrier to extending human life far beyond current averages.