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57/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 57 out of 100. Genetics

Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis

Objective To investigate the contribution of biomarkers of glucose homeostasis (adiponectin, glucose, glycated albumin, and insulin levels) and inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) levels) to the risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD) and all-cause dementia. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Dementia-free Framingham Heart Study participants had sera measured for these biomarkers at the 19th biennial examination (1985-1988) and were followed up prospectively for the development of AD and all-cause dementia. Participants Eight hundred forty (541 women, median age of 76 years) subjects participated in the study. Main outcome measures We used sex-pooled and sex-specific multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, education, body mass index, recent change in weight, APOE ε4 allele status, and plasma docosahexaenoic acid levels to determine association of these biomarkers with the development of all-cause dementia and AD. Results Over a mean follow-up period of 13 years, 159 persons developed dementia (including 125 with AD). After adjustment for other risk factors, only adiponectin in women was associated with an increased risk of all-cause dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.66; P=.054) and AD (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.00-1.76; P=.050) per 1-SD increase in adiponectin level. Women with baseline adiponectin values more than the median had a higher risk of all-cause dementia (HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.03-2.56; P=.04) and AD (HR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.13-3.10; P=.01) as compared with those with values less than the median. Conclusion In women, increased plasma adiponectin levels are an independent risk factor for the development of both all-cause dementia and AD.

Key findings

Results Over a mean follow-up period of 13 years, 159 persons developed dementia (including 125 with AD).
After adjustment for other risk factors, only adiponectin in women was associated with an increased risk of all-cause dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.66; P=.054) and AD (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.00-1.76; P=.050) per 1-SD increase in adiponectin level.
Women with baseline adiponectin values more than the median had a higher risk of all-cause dementia (HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.03-2.56; P=.04) and AD (HR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.13-3.10; P=.01) as compared with those with values less than the median.

Why it matters

In this long-term cohort study, after adjustment for other risk factors, only adiponectin in women was associated with an increased risk of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease, with results at the borderline of statistical significance. It identifies a possible risk marker but does not show that any treatment or prevention targeting adiponectin changes the course of Alzheimer's disease.

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Study details

Study designcohort study
Participants159
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 57/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Archives of neurology)
Journal's citation record	3 / 4	Archives of Neurology: journal h-index 353 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	7 / 12	A cohort study following people over time
Strength of evidence	3 / 5	Rated “moderate” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	1 / 5	2012 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	2 / 4	159 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	5 / 7	Cited 198 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	3 / 5	12.4 citations a year over 16 year(s) since 2012
Impact for its field and year	4 / 6	Cited 10.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	3 / 6	Cited by 11 other studies in this library
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 22 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	1 / 4	Last-listed author Thomas M. van Himbergen: h-index 15 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	Tufts University: institution h-index 1,045 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	0 / 3	OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete)
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 22213409)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	57 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

Read the original

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

van Himbergen, T. M., Beiser, A. S., Ai, M., Seshadri, S., Otokozawa, S., Au, R., et al. (2012). Biomarkers for insulin resistance and inflammation and the risk for all-cause dementia and alzheimer disease: results from the Framingham Heart Study. Archives of neurology. https://doi.org/10.1001/archneurol.2011.670

Vancouver

van Himbergen TM, Beiser AS, Ai M, Seshadri S, Otokozawa S, Au R, et al. Biomarkers for insulin resistance and inflammation and the risk for all-cause dementia and alzheimer disease: results from the Framingham Heart Study. Archives of neurology. 2012. doi:10.1001/archneurol.2011.670. PMID: 22213409.

BibTeX

@article{vanhimbergen2012-22213409,
  author  = {van Himbergen, T. M. and Beiser, A. S. and Ai, M. and Seshadri, S. and Otokozawa, S. and Au, R. and Thongtang, N. and Wolf, P. A. and others},
  title   = {{Biomarkers for insulin resistance and inflammation and the risk for all-cause dementia and alzheimer disease: results from the Framingham Heart Study}},
  journal = {Archives of neurology},
  year    = {2012},
  doi     = {10.1001/archneurol.2011.670},
  pmid    = {22213409},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1001/archneurol.2011.670}
}

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