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Association Between Triglycerides and Risk of Dementia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study
Zhou Z, Ryan J, Tonkin AM, Zoungas S, Lacaze P, Wolfe R, Orchard SG, Murray AM et al.. Neurology, 2023-11-27
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background and objectives It has been suggested that higher triglyceride levels were associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer disease. Results This study included 18,294 ASPREE participants and 68,200 UK Biobank participants (mean age: 75.1 and 66.9 years; female: 56.3% and 52.7%; median [interquartile range] triglyceride: 106 [80-142] mg/dL and 139 [101-193] mg/dL), with dementia recorded in 823 and 2,778 individuals over a median follow-up of 6.4 and 12.5 years, respectively. Higher triglyceride levels were associated with lower dementia risk in the entire ASPREE cohort (hazard ratio [HR] with doubling of triglyceride: 0.82, 95% CI 0.72-0.94). Higher triglycerides were also associated with slower decline in composite cognition and memory over time ( p ≤ 0.05). Discussion Older adults with higher triglyceride levels within the normal to high-normal range had a lower dementia risk and slower cognitive decline over time compared with individuals with lower triglyceride levels. Higher triglyceride levels may be reflective of better overall health and/or lifestyle behaviors that would protect against dementia development.
Key findings
- Background and objectives It has been suggested that higher triglyceride levels were associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer disease.
- Results This study included 18,294 ASPREE participants and 68,200 UK Biobank participants (mean age: 75.1 and 66.9 years; female: 56.3% and 52.7%; median [interquartile range] triglyceride: 106 [80-142] mg/dL and 139 [101-193] mg/dL), with dementia recorded in 823 and 2,778 individuals over a median follow-up of 6.4 and 12.5 years, respectively.
- Higher triglyceride levels were associated with lower dementia risk in the entire ASPREE cohort (hazard ratio [HR] with doubling of triglyceride: 0.82, 95% CI 0.72-0.94).
- Higher triglycerides were also associated with slower decline in composite cognition and memory over time ( p ≤ 0.05).
- Discussion Older adults with higher triglyceride levels within the normal to high-normal range had a lower dementia risk and slower cognitive decline over time compared with individuals with lower triglyceride levels.
Why it matters
In this cohort of older adults, higher triglyceride levels within the normal to high-normal range were associated with lower dementia risk and slower cognitive decline. This is an observational association and does not show that raising triglycerides prevents dementia.
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Study details
- Study designrandomized controlled trial
- Participants13,976
- Effect size56.3%; 52.7%
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 77/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2023 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 4 / 4 | 13,976 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 56 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 11.2 citations a year over 5 year(s) since 2023 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 5 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 55 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Mark Raymond Nelson: h-index 60 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Monash University: institution h-index 1,146 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 10 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 37879942) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 77 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000207923
- PubMed: 37879942
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
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. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Zhou, Z., Ryan, J., Tonkin, A. M., Zoungas, S., Lacaze, P., Wolfe, R., et al. (2023). Association Between Triglycerides and Risk of Dementia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000207923
Vancouver
Zhou Z, Ryan J, Tonkin AM, Zoungas S, Lacaze P, Wolfe R, et al. Association Between Triglycerides and Risk of Dementia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study. Neurology. 2023. doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000207923. PMID: 37879942.
BibTeX
@article{zhou2023-37879942,
author = {Zhou, Z. and Ryan, J. and Tonkin, A. M. and Zoungas, S. and Lacaze, P. and Wolfe, R. and Orchard, S. G. and Murray, A. M. and others},
title = {{Association Between Triglycerides and Risk of Dementia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.0000000000207923},
pmid = {37879942},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000207923}
}
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