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Dementia is an age-independent risk factor for severity and death in COVID-19 inpatients
Tahira AC, Verjovski-Almeida S, Ferreira ST.. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2021-04-21
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Introduction Dementia has been associated with COVID-19 prevalence, but whether this reflects higher infection, older age of patients, or disease severity remains unclear. Methods We investigated a cohort of 12,863 UK Biobank community-dwelling individuals > 65 years old (1814 individuals ≥ 80 years old) tested for COVID-19. Individuals were stratified by age to account for age as a confounder.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Tahira, A. C., Verjovski-Almeida, S., & Ferreira, S. T. (2021). Dementia is an age-independent risk factor for severity and death in COVID-19 inpatients. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12352
Vancouver
Tahira AC, Verjovski-Almeida S, Ferreira ST. Dementia is an age-independent risk factor for severity and death in COVID-19 inpatients. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. 2021. doi:10.1002/alz.12352. PMID: 33881211.
BibTeX
@article{tahira2021-33881211,
author = {Tahira, A. C. and Verjovski-Almeida, S. and Ferreira, S. T.},
title = {{Dementia is an age-independent risk factor for severity and death in COVID-19 inpatients}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1002/alz.12352},
pmid = {33881211},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12352}
}
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Key findings
- Methods We investigated a cohort of 12,863 UK Biobank community-dwelling individuals > 65 years old (1814 individuals ≥ 80 years old) tested for COVID-19.
- Individuals were stratified by age to account for age as a confounder.
- Risk factors were analyzed for COVID-19-positive diagnosis, hospitalization, and death.
- Results All-cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Parkinson's disease (PD) were associated with COVID-19-positive diagnosis, and all-cause dementia and AD remained associated in individuals ≥ 80 years old.
Why it matters
In UK Biobank participants over 65, dementia was associated with COVID-19-positive diagnosis, hospitalization, and death, independent of age. This concerns COVID-19 outcomes in people with dementia and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Participants1,814
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 66/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question (from PubMed type “Systematic Review”) |
| 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 | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,814 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) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomization is not credited here |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 118 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 16.9 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 45 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Sergio Teixeira Ferreira: h-index 74 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Universidade de São Paulo: institution h-index 936 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 33881211) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 66 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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