Home › Research › Prevention and risk
Modifiable predictors of dementia in mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Cooper C, Sommerlad A, Lyketsos CG, Livingston G.. The American journal of psychiatry, 2015-02-20
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective Public health campaigns encouraging early help seeking have increased rates of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosis in Western countries, but we know little about how to treat or predict dementia outcomes in persons with the condition. Method The authors searched electronic databases and references for longitudinal studies reporting potentially modifiable risk factors for incident dementia after MCI. Two authors independently evaluated study quality using a checklist. Meta-analyses were conducted of three or more studies. Results There were 76 eligible articles. Diabetes and prediabetes increased risk of conversion from amnestic MCI to Alzheimer's dementia; risk in treated versus untreated diabetes was lower in one study. Diabetes was also associated with increased risk of conversion from any-type or nonamnestic MCI to all-cause dementia. Metabolic syndrome and prediabetes predicted all-cause dementia in people with amnestic and any-type MCI, respectively. Mediterranean diet decreased the risk of conversion to Alzheimer's dementia. The presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms or lower serum folate levels predicted conversion from any-type MCI to all-cause dementia, but less formal education did not. Depressive symptoms predicted conversion from any-type MCI to all-cause dementia in epidemiological but not clinical studies. Conclusions Diabetes increased the risk of conversion to dementia. Other prognostic factors that are potentially manageable are prediabetes and the metabolic syndrome, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and low dietary folate. Dietary interventions and interventions to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms, including depression, that increase risk of conversion to dementia may decrease new incidence of dementia.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Cooper, C., Sommerlad, A., Lyketsos, C. G., & Livingston, G. (2015). Modifiable predictors of dementia in mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The American journal of psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14070878
Vancouver
Cooper C, Sommerlad A, Lyketsos CG, Livingston G. Modifiable predictors of dementia in mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The American journal of psychiatry. 2015. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14070878. PMID: 25698435.
BibTeX
@article{cooper2015-25698435,
author = {Cooper, C. and Sommerlad, A. and Lyketsos, C. G. and Livingston, G.},
title = {{Modifiable predictors of dementia in mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis}},
journal = {The American journal of psychiatry},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14070878},
pmid = {25698435},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14070878}
}
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
- Diabetes and prediabetes increased risk of conversion from amnestic MCI to Alzheimer's dementia; risk in treated versus untreated diabetes was lower in one study.
- Diabetes was also associated with increased risk of conversion from any-type or nonamnestic MCI to all-cause dementia.
Why it matters
This review pooled longitudinal studies of people already diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (76 eligible articles) to find risk factors for dementia that might be changed. Diabetes was linked to higher risk of progressing to dementia, and prediabetes, metabolic syndrome, neuropsychiatric symptoms and low folate also predicted progression; following a Mediterranean diet was linked to lower risk of progressing to Alzheimer's dementia, while less formal education did not predict progression. These are associations, not proof: the authors say only that diet changes and treating symptoms such as depression "may" reduce new dementia, and that treated diabetes carried lower risk than untreated diabetes in a single study.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Prevention →
Study details
- Study designmeta-analysis
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 66/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The American journal of psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | American Journal of Psychiatry: journal h-index 549 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A meta-analysis pooling many studies |
| 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 | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 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 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 572 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 44.0 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 26 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 108 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Gill Livingston: h-index 99 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Johns Hopkins University: institution h-index 2,306 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25698435) |
| 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 →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14070878
- PubMed: 25698435
- Original source →
- Free full text: UCL Discovery (University College London) →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 37.
Later studies that cite this one
26 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.
Related studies in Prevention and risk
Also tagged “mini-mental”
840 studies in the library carry the topic tag “mini-mental”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 840 tagged studies.