If you are single and in your 40’s, it might be a good idea to find a partner. A study has found that unmarried middle-aged people are more likely to develop cognitive impairment.

It is possible that the association actually works in reverse, however, and that those destined to have trouble thinking also have trouble with relationships.

The study examined nearly 1,500 people who were questioned in midlife and then again about 21 years later. Those who lived with a partner in midlife were less likely to be cognitively impaired than all the others, including those who were widowed, single, divorced or separated.