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Mapping dementia risk factors and their interactions in Denmark: a nationwide cohort study
Janbek J, Laursen TM, Jørgensen K, Jensen MM, Eliasen MH, Christensen AI, Walsh S, Sommerlad A, Brayne C, Waldemar G. The Lancet Public Health, 2026-07-09
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The overall PAF for dementia in Denmark was 37·8% (95% CI 35·6-40·0) for the assessed risk factors. The overall PAF was higher in males, 1948-57 birth cohorts, and individuals with low education. Interpretation These findings reinforce the need for tailored dementia interventions building on country-specific evidence. Our findings on interactions between different risk factors are important for generating novel hypotheses on the mechanisms underlying dementia disorders and highlighting at-risk population groups for whom targeting of one risk factor could reduce the risk associated with the co-occurring factor.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Janbek, J., Laursen, T. M., Jørgensen, K., Jensen, M. M., Eliasen, M. H., Christensen, A. I., et al. (2026). Mapping dementia risk factors and their interactions in Denmark: a nationwide cohort study. The Lancet Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(26)00124-6
Vancouver
Janbek J, Laursen TM, Jørgensen K, Jensen MM, Eliasen MH, Christensen AI, et al. Mapping dementia risk factors and their interactions in Denmark: a nationwide cohort study. The Lancet Public Health. 2026. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(26)00124-6. PMID: 42425116.
BibTeX
@article{janbek2026-42425116,
author = {Janbek, J. and Laursen, T. M. and Jørgensen, K. and Jensen, M. M. and Eliasen, M. H. and Christensen, A. I. and Walsh, S. and Sommerlad, A. and Brayne, C. and Waldemar, G.},
title = {{Mapping dementia risk factors and their interactions in Denmark: a nationwide cohort study}},
journal = {The Lancet Public Health},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1016/S2468-2667(26)00124-6},
pmid = {42425116},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(26)00124-6}
}
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 10 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
- The overall PAF for dementia in Denmark was 37·8% (95% CI 35·6-40·0) for the assessed risk factors.
- The overall PAF was higher in males, 1948-57 birth cohorts, and individuals with low education.
- Interpretation These findings reinforce the need for tailored dementia interventions building on country-specific evidence.
- Our findings on interactions between different risk factors are important for generating novel hypotheses on the mechanisms underlying dementia disorders and highlighting at-risk population groups for whom targeting of one risk factor could reduce the risk associated with the co-occurring factor.
Why it matters
This nationwide Danish cohort study estimated that the assessed risk factors accounted for 37.8% of dementia cases, with a higher proportion in males, certain birth cohorts and people with low education. The findings support tailored dementia interventions and highlight interactions between risk factors, but they are observational.
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Study details
- Study designcohort
- Participants1,753,515
- Effect sizeOverall population attributable fraction 37.8% (95% CI 35.6-40.0); infections 9.4%, depression 8.7%, CVD 7.6%
- Evidence strengthHigh
Limitations
Registry diagnoses under-capture mild dementia and some risk factors (for example physical inactivity only in the survey subsample); PAFs assume causality and full removal of risk factors; Danish welfare-state setting.
How this study scored 63/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on free to read, so that was left out: it earned 62 of the 98 points we could judge it on, which is 63 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (The Lancet Public Health) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | The Lancet Public Health: journal h-index 155 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 4 / 4 | 1,753,515 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 | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.5 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.7× 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 | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Gunhild Waldemar: h-index 80 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 14 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 42425116) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 62 / 98 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 62 of the 98 points we could judge it on is 63 out of 100. |
| Total | 63 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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