Originally Posted by
genejockey
My Dad had an amazing memory into his 90s, but when Mom passed it was almost like he'd been holding onto it to take care of her (like remembering what pills she took and when, doctors appointments, etc.) by the time he died at 100, dementia seemed to have largely un-written most of his whole history.
I have heard that story before and I think something similar happened to my own father, but he was pretty rough already.
Loss of a spouse is a major risk factor for vascular disease and probably also for Alzheimer-type dementia. Unsurprisingly, an immune/inflammatory mechanism is suspected.