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Association between Serum Levels of Interleukin-6 and Stroke, Cardiovascular Events, and Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia
Kazuo Kitagawa, Sono Toi, Hiroshi Yoshizawa, Yasuto Sato, Kenichi Todo. Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis, 2025-06-05
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
During a median follow-up period of 4.6 years, stroke, MACEs, and AD dementia occurred in 24, 36, and 21 patients, respectively. Serum IL-6 levels are associated with age, sex, and vascular factors. A Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that the highest IL-6 tertile (≥ 2.5 pg/mL) was associated with a significantly higher risk of stroke and MACEs than the lowest IL-6 tertile after adjusting for confounding factors (stroke, adjusted hazard ratio 4.84 [95% confidence interval, 1.02-23.05], P = 0.048; MACEs, adjusted hazard ratio 3.68 [95% confidence interval, 1.01-13.51], P = 0.049). However, no association was found between IL-6 tertile groups and AD dementia. Serum IL-6 levels predicted stroke and cardiovascular events but not AD dementia in patients with vascular risk factors. The involvement of low-grade systemic inflammation appears to be significantly greater in atherothrombotic events than that in AD dementia.
Key findings
- During a median follow-up period of 4.6 years, stroke, MACEs, and AD dementia occurred in 24, 36, and 21 patients, respectively.
- Serum IL-6 levels are associated with age, sex, and vascular factors.
- A Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that the highest IL-6 tertile (≥ 2.5 pg/mL) was associated with a significantly higher risk of stroke and MACEs than the lowest IL-6 tertile after adjusting for confounding factors (stroke, adjusted hazard ratio 4.84 [95% confidence interval, 1.02-23.05], P = 0.048; MACEs, adjusted hazard ratio 3.68 [95% confidence interval, 1.01-13.51], P = 0.049).
- However, no association was found between IL-6 tertile groups and AD dementia.
- Serum IL-6 levels predicted stroke and cardiovascular events but not AD dementia in patients with vascular risk factors.
Why it matters
In patients with vascular risk factors, higher serum IL-6 was linked to a higher risk of stroke and cardiovascular events over about 4.6 years. However, no association was found between IL-6 levels and Alzheimer's disease dementia.
Study details
- Study designpost-hoc analysis
- Participants1,011
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 39/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis: journal h-index 108 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | Design recorded as “post-hoc analysis”, which our rubric does not rank (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 | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,011 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 2 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Kenichi Todo: h-index 31 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Tokyo Women's Medical University: institution h-index 455 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40484683) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.5551/jat.65763
- PubMed: 40484683
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis →
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
Kitagawa, K., Toi, S., Yoshizawa, H., Sato, Y., & Todo, K. (2025). Association between Serum Levels of Interleukin-6 and Stroke, Cardiovascular Events, and Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia. Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis. https://doi.org/10.5551/jat.65763
Vancouver
Kitagawa K, Toi S, Yoshizawa H, Sato Y, Todo K. Association between Serum Levels of Interleukin-6 and Stroke, Cardiovascular Events, and Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia. Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis. 2025. doi:10.5551/jat.65763. PMID: 40484683.
BibTeX
@article{kitagawa2025-40484683,
author = {Kitagawa, Kazuo and Toi, Sono and Yoshizawa, Hiroshi and Sato, Yasuto and Todo, Kenichi},
title = {{Association between Serum Levels of Interleukin-6 and Stroke, Cardiovascular Events, and Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia}},
journal = {Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.5551/jat.65763},
pmid = {40484683},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5551/jat.65763}
}
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