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Cognition in Whitehall II 'SuperAgers': An Analysis of Dementia Risk Factors
Watson, P.; Ebrahimi, O.; Gallacher, J. E. J.; Bauermeister, S.. medRxiv (preprint), 2026-09-14
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Higher education (OR = 1.23, SE = 0.05, 95% CI = [1.10, 1.36], p < 0.001), female sex (OR = 1.30, SE = 0.09, 95% CI = [1.10, 1.55], p = 0.003), and lower age (OR = 0.67, SE = 0.04, 95% CI = [0.61, 0.73], p < 0.001) were associated with increased odds of SuperAger status. Absence of hypertension (OR = 0.76, SE = 0.08, 95% CI = [0.64, 0.89], p < 0.001), lower depressive symptoms (OR = 0.99, SE = 0.01, 95% CI = [0.98, 1.00], p = 0.05), higher fruit and vegetable intake (OR = 1.08, SE = 0.03, 95% CI = [1.02, 1.15], p = 0.01), and greater social activity engagement (OR = 1.03, SE = 0.01, 95% CI = [1.01, 1.06], p = 0.02) were also associated with higher odds. These findings suggest hypertension, depressive symptoms, diet, and social engagement show promising but modest associations with SuperAger status, however, they do not fully explain exceptional cognitive ageing. We aimed to investigate whether established dementia risk factors are associated with SuperAger status in older age. We found that the absence of hypertension, lower depression scores, greater fruit and vegetable intake, and higher social engagement were associated with an increased likelihood of being a SuperAger, although these associations were modest. Our study provides new insights into factors associated with exceptional cognitive ageing and suggests that established late-life dementia risk factors may contribute to, but do not fully explain, why some individuals maintain exceptionally high cognitive function into older age.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Watson, P., Ebrahimi, O., Gallacher, J. E. J., & Bauermeister, S. (2026). Cognition in Whitehall II 'SuperAgers': An Analysis of Dementia Risk Factors. medRxiv (preprint). https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.12.25333490
Vancouver
Watson P, Ebrahimi O, Gallacher JEJ, Bauermeister S. Cognition in Whitehall II 'SuperAgers': An Analysis of Dementia Risk Factors. medRxiv (preprint). 2026. doi:10.1101/2025.08.12.25333490.
BibTeX
@article{watson2026-a6a005ff,
author = {Watson, P. and Ebrahimi, O. and Gallacher, J. E. J. and Bauermeister, S.},
title = {{Cognition in Whitehall II 'SuperAgers': An Analysis of Dementia Risk Factors}},
journal = {medRxiv (preprint)},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1101/2025.08.12.25333490},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.12.25333490}
}
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.
Key findings
- Higher education (OR = 1.23, SE = 0.05, 95% CI = [1.10, 1.36], p < 0.001), female sex (OR = 1.30, SE = 0.09, 95% CI = [1.10, 1.55], p = 0.003), and lower age (OR = 0.67, SE = 0.04, 95% CI = [0.61, 0.73], p < 0.001) were associated with increased odds of SuperAger status.
- Absence of hypertension (OR = 0.76, SE = 0.08, 95% CI = [0.64, 0.89], p < 0.001), lower depressive symptoms (OR = 0.99, SE = 0.01, 95% CI = [0.98, 1.00], p = 0.05), higher fruit and vegetable intake (OR = 1.08, SE = 0.03, 95% CI = [1.02, 1.15], p = 0.01), and greater social activity engagement (OR = 1.03, SE = 0.01, 95% CI = [1.01, 1.06], p = 0.02) were also associated with higher odds.
- These findings suggest hypertension, depressive symptoms, diet, and social engagement show promising but modest associations with SuperAger status, however, they do not fully explain exceptional cognitive ageing.
- We aimed to investigate whether established dementia risk factors are associated with SuperAger status in older age.
- We found that the absence of hypertension, lower depression scores, greater fruit and vegetable intake, and higher social engagement were associated with an increased likelihood of being a SuperAger, although these associations were modest.
Why it matters
This study found that absence of hypertension, lower depressive symptoms, higher fruit and vegetable intake, and greater social activity were modestly associated with being a SuperAger. These factors do not fully explain exceptional cognitive ageing, and the study does not show that they prevent or cure Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Participants3,513
- Effect size25.88%; OR = 1.23; OR = 1.30
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 16/100
Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. It scored 31 on the same rubric, but non-peer-reviewed sources are capped at 16, so it shows as 16. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on impact for its field and year, so that was left out: it earned 29 of the 94 points we could judge it on, which is 31 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 2 / 10 | Tier 4 — not a peer-reviewed journal (medRxiv (preprint)) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Not a journal article, so the journal's record does not count |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 4 / 10 | Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. Hosted on a preprint server. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 3,513 participants |
| Effect reported | 3 / 3 | Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar) |
| 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 | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026 |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Sarah Bauermeister: h-index 18 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Oxford: institution h-index 2,205 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 29 / 94 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 29 of the 94 points we could judge it on is 31 out of 100. |
| Total | 31 / 100 | Capped to 16 because this is not a peer-reviewed article. |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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