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Adipokines: a link between obesity and dementia?
Kiliaan AJ, Arnoldussen IA, Gustafson DR.. The Lancet. Neurology, 2014-09-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Being overweight or obese, as measured with body-mass index or central adiposity (waist circumference), and the trajectory of body-mass index over the life course have been associated with brain atrophy, white matter changes, disturbances of blood-brain barrier integrity, and risk of all-cause late-onset dementia and Alzheimer's disease. This observation leads us to question what it is about body-mass index that is associated with health of the brain and dementia risk. If high body-mass index and central adiposity represent an increase in adipose tissue, then the endocrine function of adipose tissue, mediated by adipose tissue hormones and adipokines, could be a clue to mechanisms that underlie the association with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Key findings
- This observation leads us to question what it is about body-mass index that is associated with health of the brain and dementia risk.
- If high body-mass index and central adiposity represent an increase in adipose tissue, then the endocrine function of adipose tissue, mediated by adipose tissue hormones and adipokines, could be a clue to mechanisms that underlie the association with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
- Hundreds of adipokines have been identified, creating a complexity that is a challenge to simplify.
- Nonetheless, adipokines are being investigated in association with clinical dementia outcomes, and with imaging-based measures of brain volume, structure, and function in human beings and in preclinical models of clinical dementia.
Why it matters
This paper discusses whether hormones released by fat tissue could link obesity to dementia risk. It is a discussion of possible mechanisms and does not test any treatment, cure or prevention.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 51/100
Published in a leading specialty 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 | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (The Lancet. Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | The Lancet Neurology: journal h-index 457 (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 | 2014 — 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 287 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 20.5 citations a year over 14 year(s) since 2014 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 16.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 72 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Deborah Gustafson: h-index 59 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Inserm: institution h-index 1,988 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25142458) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 51 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(14)70085-7
- PubMed: 25142458
- Original source →
- Free full text: Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Kiliaan, A. J., Arnoldussen, I. A., & Gustafson, D. R. (2014). Adipokines: a link between obesity and dementia? The Lancet. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(14)70085-7
Vancouver
Kiliaan AJ, Arnoldussen IA, Gustafson DR. Adipokines: a link between obesity and dementia? The Lancet. Neurology. 2014. doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(14)70085-7. PMID: 25142458.
BibTeX
@article{kiliaan2014-25142458,
author = {Kiliaan, A. J. and Arnoldussen, I. A. and Gustafson, D. R.},
title = {{Adipokines: a link between obesity and dementia?}},
journal = {The Lancet. Neurology},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1016/s1474-4422(14)70085-7},
pmid = {25142458},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(14)70085-7}
}
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