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A major role for cardiovascular burden in age-related cognitive decline
Qiu C, Fratiglioni L.. Nature reviews. Cardiology, 2015-01-13
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The incidence of dementia and cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases with age. Current evidence supports the role for both atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis as a common pathophysiological ground for the heart-brain connection in ageing. Cognitive decline and CVDs share many vascular risk factors (VRFs) such as smoking, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus; furthermore, CVDs can contribute to cognitive decline by causing cerebral hypoperfusion, hypoxia, emboli, or infarcts. Mixed dementia, resulting from both cerebrovascular lesions and neurodegeneration, accounts for the majority of dementia cases among very old individuals (≥75 years). An accumulation of multiple VRFs, especially in middle age (40-59 years of age), can substantially increase dementia risk. The suggested declining trend in dementia risk, occurring in parallel with the decreasing incidence of cardiovascular events in high-income countries, supports the role of cardiovascular burden in dementia. Accordingly, strategies to promote cardiovascular health, especially if implemented from early life, might help to delay the onset of dementia. In this Review, we discuss the literature investigating the association of cardiovascular burden with cognitive decline and dementia over the life-course.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Qiu, C., & Fratiglioni, L. (2015). A major role for cardiovascular burden in age-related cognitive decline. Nature reviews. Cardiology. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2014.223
Vancouver
Qiu C, Fratiglioni L. A major role for cardiovascular burden in age-related cognitive decline. Nature reviews. Cardiology. 2015. doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2014.223. PMID: 25583619.
BibTeX
@article{qiu2015-25583619,
author = {Qiu, C. and Fratiglioni, L.},
title = {{A major role for cardiovascular burden in age-related cognitive decline}},
journal = {Nature reviews. Cardiology},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1038/nrcardio.2014.223},
pmid = {25583619},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2014.223}
}
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Key findings
- Mixed dementia, resulting from both cerebrovascular lesions and neurodegeneration, accounts for the majority of dementia cases among very old individuals (≥75 years).
- An accumulation of multiple VRFs, especially in middle age (40-59 years of age), can substantially increase dementia risk.
- The suggested declining trend in dementia risk, occurring in parallel with the decreasing incidence of cardiovascular events in high-income countries, supports the role of cardiovascular burden in dementia.
- Accordingly, strategies to promote cardiovascular health, especially if implemented from early life, might help to delay the onset of dementia.
- In this Review, we discuss the literature investigating the association of cardiovascular burden with cognitive decline and dementia over the life-course.
Why it matters
This review argues that cardiovascular burden, including atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis and risk factors such as smoking, hypertension and diabetes, contributes to cognitive decline and dementia, and that an accumulation of multiple vascular risk factors especially in middle age can substantially increase dementia risk. It suggests that strategies to promote cardiovascular health, especially from early life, might help delay the onset of dementia, but this is a suggested strategy rather than a proven prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Nature reviews. Cardiology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Nature Reviews Cardiology: journal h-index 250 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 401 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 30.8 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 30 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 99 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Laura Fratiglioni: h-index 133 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Karolinska Institutet: institution h-index 1,477 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25583619) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
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