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Diet and risk of dementia: Does fat matter?: The Rotterdam Study
Engelhart MJ, Geerlings MI, Ruitenberg A, Van Swieten JC, Hofman A, Witteman JC, Breteler MM.. Neurology, 2002-12-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective To examine whether high intake of total fat, saturated fatty acids (saturated fat), trans fatty acids (trans fat), and cholesterol and low intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), n-6 PUFA, and n-3 PUFA are associated with increased risk of dementia and its subtypes. Method Data from the Rotterdam Study, a prospective cohort study among elderly, were used. At baseline (1990 to 1993), 5,395 subjects had normal cognition, were noninstitutionalized, and underwent complete dietary assessment by a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. The cohort was continuously monitored for incident dementia, and re-examinations were performed in 1993 to 1994 and 1997 to 1999. The association between fat intake and incident dementia was examined by Cox's proportional hazards models. Results After a mean follow-up of 6.0 years, 197 subjects developed dementia (146 AD, 29 vascular dementia). High intake of total, saturated, trans fat, and cholesterol and low intake of MUFA, PUFA, n-6 PUFA, and n-3 PUFA were not associated with increased risk of dementia or its subtypes. Rate ratios of dementia per standard deviation increase in intake were for total fat 0.93 (95% CI 0.81 to 1.07), for saturated fat 0.91 (95% CI 0.79 to 1.05), for trans fat 0.90 (95% CI 0.77 to 1.06), for cholesterol 0.93 (95% CI 0.80 to 1.08), for MUFA 0.96 (95% CI 0.84 to 1.10), for PUFA 1.05 (95% CI 0.80 to 1.38), for n-6 PUFA 1.03 (95% CI 0.77 to 1.36), and for n-3 PUFA 1.07 (95% CI 0.94 to 1.22). Conclusion High intake of total, saturated, and trans fat and cholesterol and low intake of MUFA, PUFA, n-6 PUFA, and n-3 PUFA were not associated with increased risk of dementia or its subtypes.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Engelhart, M. J., Geerlings, M. I., Ruitenberg, A., Van Swieten, J. C., Hofman, A., Witteman, J. C., et al. (2002). Diet and risk of dementia: Does fat matter?: The Rotterdam Study. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000038345.77753.46
Vancouver
Engelhart MJ, Geerlings MI, Ruitenberg A, Van Swieten JC, Hofman A, Witteman JC, et al. Diet and risk of dementia: Does fat matter?: The Rotterdam Study. Neurology. 2002. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000038345.77753.46. PMID: 12499483.
BibTeX
@article{engelhart2002-12499483,
author = {Engelhart, M. J. and Geerlings, M. I. and Ruitenberg, A. and Van Swieten, J. C. and Hofman, A. and Witteman, J. C. and Breteler, M. M.},
title = {{Diet and risk of dementia: Does fat matter?: The Rotterdam Study}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2002},
doi = {10.1212/01.wnl.0000038345.77753.46},
pmid = {12499483},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000038345.77753.46}
}
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 names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Objective To examine whether high intake of total fat, saturated fatty acids (saturated fat), trans fatty acids (trans fat), and cholesterol and low intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), n-6 PUFA, and n-3 PUFA are associated with increased risk of dementia and its subtypes.
- Results After a mean follow-up of 6.0 years, 197 subjects developed dementia (146 AD, 29 vascular dementia).
- High intake of total, saturated, trans fat, and cholesterol and low intake of MUFA, PUFA, n-6 PUFA, and n-3 PUFA were not associated with increased risk of dementia or its subtypes.
- Conclusion High intake of total, saturated, and trans fat and cholesterol and low intake of MUFA, PUFA, n-6 PUFA, and n-3 PUFA were not associated with increased risk of dementia or its subtypes.
Why it matters
In 5,395 older adults in the Rotterdam Study who were cognitively normal when their diet was recorded, 197 developed dementia over an average of 6.0 years. Higher intake of total, saturated or trans fat or cholesterol, and lower intake of mono- or polyunsaturated fats (including n-3), were not associated with higher risk of dementia or its subtypes; every rate ratio's 95% interval included 1. Because diet was measured once by questionnaire and the study was observational, this finds no link in this cohort rather than proving that dietary fat has no effect.
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Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Participants5,395
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 65/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (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 | 2002 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 5,395 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 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 324 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 12.5 citations a year over 26 year(s) since 2002 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 11.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 22 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Monique M.B. Breteler: h-index 162 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Erasmus MC: institution h-index 1,321 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 12499483) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 65 / 100 | — |
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