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Association of diabetes mellitus and dementia: the Rotterdam Study
Ott A, Stolk RP, Hofman A, van Harskamp F, Grobbee DE, Breteler MM.. Diabetologia, 1996-11-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Dementia and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) are highly prevalent disorders in the elderly. Diabetes has repeatedly been reported to affect cognition, but its relation with dementia is uncertain. We therefore studied the association between diabetes and dementia in the Rotterdam Study, a large population-based study in the elderly. Of 6330 participants, aged 55 to 99 years old, complete information on diabetes and presence of dementia was available. Diabetes was diagnosed as use of anti-diabetes medication or random or post-load serum glucose over 11 mmol/1. Dementia was diagnosed through a stepped approach, including a sensitive screening of all participants and a comprehensive diagnostic work-up. Diabetes was present in 724 (11.4%) subjects. Of the 265 dementia patients 59 (22.3%) had diabetes. Multiple logistic regression analyses, adjusting for age and sex differences, revealed a positive association between diabetes and dementia (odds ratio: 1.3, 95% confidence interval 1.0-1.9). In particular, strong associations were found between dementia and diabetes treated with insulin (odds ratio: 3.2, 95% confidence interval: 1.4-7.5) The relation was strongest with vascular dementia but was also observed with Alzheimer's disease. These associations were independent of educational attainment, smoking, body mass index, atherosclerosis, blood pressure and antihypertensive drug treatment, and could not be explained by clinical cerebra infarctions. The results suggest that NIDDM is associated with dementia. Alzheimer's disease may be more frequent in elderly diabetic patients treated with insulin.
Key findings
- Multiple logistic regression analyses, adjusting for age and sex differences, revealed a positive association between diabetes and dementia (odds ratio: 1.3, 95% confidence interval 1.0-1.9).
- The results suggest that NIDDM is associated with dementia.
Why it matters
In this population-based study, diabetes was positively associated with dementia, with the strongest association for vascular dementia but an association also observed with Alzheimer's disease. It reports an association only and does not show that treating diabetes prevents or cures dementia.
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Study details
- Participants6,330
- Effect size11.4%; 22.3%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 58/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Diabetologia) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Diabetologia: journal h-index 337 (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 | 1996 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 6,330 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 | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 676 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 21.1 citations a year over 32 year(s) since 1996 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 9.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 37 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 43 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Monique M.B. Breteler: h-index 162 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Erasmus MC: institution h-index 1,321 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 8933010) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 58 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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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
Ott, A., Stolk, R. P., Hofman, A., van Harskamp, F., Grobbee, D. E., & Breteler, M. M. (1996). Association of diabetes mellitus and dementia: the Rotterdam Study. Diabetologia. https://doi.org/10.1007/s001250050588
Vancouver
Ott A, Stolk RP, Hofman A, van Harskamp F, Grobbee DE, Breteler MM. Association of diabetes mellitus and dementia: the Rotterdam Study. Diabetologia. 1996. doi:10.1007/s001250050588. PMID: 8933010.
BibTeX
@article{ott1996-8933010,
author = {Ott, A. and Stolk, R. P. and Hofman, A. and van Harskamp, F. and Grobbee, D. E. and Breteler, M. M.},
title = {{Association of diabetes mellitus and dementia: the Rotterdam Study}},
journal = {Diabetologia},
year = {1996},
doi = {10.1007/s001250050588},
pmid = {8933010},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s001250050588}
}
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