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Associations between vascular risk factors and brain MRI indices in UK Biobank
Cox SR, Lyall DM, Ritchie SJ, Bastin ME, Harris MA, Buchanan CR, Fawns-Ritchie C, Barbu MC et al.. European heart journal, 2019-07-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Aims Several factors are known to increase risk for cerebrovascular disease and dementia, but there is limited evidence on associations between multiple vascular risk factors (VRFs) and detailed aspects of brain macrostructure and microstructure in large community-dwelling populations across middle and older age. Methods and results Associations between VRFs (smoking, hypertension, pulse pressure, diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia, body mass index, and waist-hip ratio) and brain structural and diffusion MRI markers were examined in UK Biobank (N = 9722, age range 44-79 years). A larger number of VRFs was associated with greater brain atrophy, lower grey matter volume, and poorer white matter health. Effect sizes were small (brain structural R2 ≤1.8%). Higher aggregate vascular risk was related to multiple regional MRI hallmarks associated with dementia risk: lower frontal and temporal cortical volumes, lower subcortical volumes, higher white matter hyperintensity volumes, and poorer white matter microstructure in association and thalamic pathways. Smoking pack years, hypertension and diabetes showed the most consistent associations across all brain measures. Hypercholesterolaemia was not uniquely associated with any MRI marker. Conclusion Higher levels of VRFs were associated with poorer brain health across grey and white matter macrostructure and microstructure. Effects are mainly additive, converging upon frontal and temporal cortex, subcortical structures, and specific classes of white matter fibres. Though effect sizes were small, these results emphasize the vulnerability of brain health to vascular factors even in relatively healthy middle and older age, and the potential to partly ameliorate cognitive decline by addressing these malleable risk factors.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Cox, SR., Lyall, D. M., Ritchie, S. J., Bastin, M. E., Harris, M. A., Buchanan, C. R., et al. (2019). Associations between vascular risk factors and brain MRI indices in UK Biobank. European heart journal. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz100
Vancouver
Cox SR, Lyall DM, Ritchie SJ, Bastin ME, Harris MA, Buchanan CR, et al. Associations between vascular risk factors and brain MRI indices in UK Biobank. European heart journal. 2019. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehz100. PMID: 30854560.
BibTeX
@article{cox2019-30854560,
author = {Cox, SR. and Lyall, D. M. and Ritchie, S. J. and Bastin, M. E. and Harris, M. A. and Buchanan, C. R. and Fawns-Ritchie, C. and Barbu, M. C. and others},
title = {{Associations between vascular risk factors and brain MRI indices in UK Biobank}},
journal = {European heart journal},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1093/eurheartj/ehz100},
pmid = {30854560},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz100}
}
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.
Key findings
- Methods and results Associations between VRFs (smoking, hypertension, pulse pressure, diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia, body mass index, and waist-hip ratio) and brain structural and diffusion MRI markers were examined in UK Biobank (N = 9722, age range 44-79 years).
- A larger number of VRFs was associated with greater brain atrophy, lower grey matter volume, and poorer white matter health.
- Higher aggregate vascular risk was related to multiple regional MRI hallmarks associated with dementia risk: lower frontal and temporal cortical volumes, lower subcortical volumes, higher white matter hyperintensity volumes, and poorer white matter microstructure in association and thalamic pathways.
- Hypercholesterolaemia was not uniquely associated with any MRI marker.
- Conclusion Higher levels of VRFs were associated with poorer brain health across grey and white matter macrostructure and microstructure.
Why it matters
In this large UK Biobank sample, having more vascular risk factors was associated with greater brain atrophy, lower grey matter volume, and poorer white matter health, with small effect sizes. These are associations with brain MRI markers linked to dementia risk, not proof that controlling these factors prevents Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Participants9,722
- Effect size1.8%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 63/100
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 (European heart journal) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | European Heart Journal: journal h-index 456 (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 | 2 / 5 | 2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 9,722 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 330 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 36.7 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 25.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 16 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 127 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Ian J. Deary: h-index 200 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Glasgow: institution h-index 1,600 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 12 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30854560) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 63 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehz100
- PubMed: 30854560
- Original source →
- Free full text: European Heart Journal →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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