Design/Methods:
In the Northern Manhattan Study, a prospective and diverse community-dwelling cohort, we evaluated cognition of the participants who received MRI, all of whom were > 55 years of age and stroke-free. The sample was divided into married and unmarried participants, and the latter were subdivided into divorced/separated, widowed, or single. During 2 to 3 visits over 9±4 years, we measured their memory, processing speed, language, and executive function, and computed a global score that averaged these four outcomes. We used longitudinal analyses to investigate associations between marital status and cognitive decline. Covariates included sociodemographic variables — age, ethnicity, and sex — and the following neurovascular risk factors: hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, APOE-ε4 status, total cranial volume, presence of covert brain infarct, and body mass index.