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57/100

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

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Adults with type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk of developing certain brain or mental disorders, including stroke, dementia, and depression. Although these disorders are not usually considered classic microvascular complications of diabetes, evidence is growing that microvascular dysfunction is one of the key underlying mechanisms. Microvascular dysfunction is a widespread phenomenon in people with diabetes, including effects on the brain. Cerebral microvascular dysfunction is also apparent in adults with prediabetes, suggesting that cerebral microvascular disease processes start before the onset of diabetes. The microvasculature is involved in the regulation of many cerebral processes that when impaired predispose to lacunar and haemorrhagic stroke, cognitive dysfunction, and depression. Main drivers of diabetes-related cerebral microvascular dysfunction are hyperglycaemia, obesity and insulin resistance, and hypertension. Increasing amounts of data from observational studies suggest that diabetes-related microvascular dysfunction is associated with a higher risk of stroke, cognitive dysfunction, and depression. Cerebral outcomes in diabetes might be improved following treatments targeting the pathways through which diabetes damages the microcirculation. These treatments might include drugs that reduce dicarbonyl compounds, augment cerebral insulin signalling, or improve blood-brain barrier permeability and cerebral vasoreactivity.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

van Sloten, T. T., Sedaghat, S., Carnethon, M. R., Launer, L. J., & Stehouwer, C. D. A. (2020). Cerebral microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes: stroke, cognitive dysfunction, and depression. The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2213-8587(19)30405-x

Vancouver

van Sloten TT, Sedaghat S, Carnethon MR, Launer LJ, Stehouwer CDA. Cerebral microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes: stroke, cognitive dysfunction, and depression. The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology. 2020. doi:10.1016/s2213-8587(19)30405-x. PMID: 32135131.

BibTeX

@article{vansloten2020-32135131,
  author  = {van Sloten, T. T. and Sedaghat, S. and Carnethon, M. R. and Launer, L. J. and Stehouwer, C. D. A.},
  title   = {{Cerebral microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes: stroke, cognitive dysfunction, and depression}},
  journal = {The lancet. Diabetes \& endocrinology},
  year    = {2020},
  doi     = {10.1016/s2213-8587(19)30405-x},
  pmid    = {32135131},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s2213-8587(19)30405-x}
}

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Key findings

Adults with type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk of developing certain brain or mental disorders, including stroke, dementia, and depression.
Cerebral microvascular dysfunction is also apparent in adults with prediabetes, suggesting that cerebral microvascular disease processes start before the onset of diabetes.
Increasing amounts of data from observational studies suggest that diabetes-related microvascular dysfunction is associated with a higher risk of stroke, cognitive dysfunction, and depression.

Why it matters

This review describes evidence that diabetes-related cerebral microvascular dysfunction is associated with higher risk of stroke, cognitive dysfunction, and depression, and suggests treatments targeting these pathways might improve outcomes. It does not report a tested treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.

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Study details

Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 57/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology)
Journal's citation record	3 / 4	The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology: journal h-index 250 (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	2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	0 / 4	Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Effect reported	0 / 3	No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people	0 / 3	Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	6 / 7	Cited 697 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	5 / 5	87.1 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020
Impact for its field and year	5 / 6	Cited 24.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	3 / 6	Cited by 15 other studies in this library
Still being cited	4 / 4	Cited 401 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	4 / 4	Last-listed author Coen D.A. Stehouwer: h-index 148 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	3 / 3	National Institutes of Health: institution h-index 2,723 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 2 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32135131)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	57 / 100	—

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