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44/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 44 out of 100. Genetics

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

Plain-language summary

Although apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 is a well-established risk factor for Alzheimer disease, its role in the development of post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) remains uncertain. In this prospective cohort study, we recruited patients aged ≥20 years who had ischemic stroke within the past 7 days and measured their ApoE genotype. Baseline characteristics, including age, sex, education level, medical history, stroke severity, stroke etiology, and neuroimaging findings were recorded. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) at 3 and 12 months post-stroke, with PSCI defined as a MoCA score < 26. After adjusting for confounding factors, the ApoE ε4 allele was not associated with the risk of PSCI at 3 or 12 months post-stroke. Other factors, including age, body mass index, education level, and initial stroke severity, were found to be associated with the risk of PSCI at 3 months. In patients who developed PSCI at 12 months, only education level and the MoCA score at 3 months were significantly associated with the risk of PSCI. Our findings suggest that, aside from traditional risk factors, the ApoE ε4 allele does not contribute to the risk of PSCI at 3 or 12 months post-stroke. Further studies with a larger sample size and longer follow-up are warranted.

What this study adds

Evidence grade: Moderate

This is a follow-up (cohort) study. In this prospective cohort, the ApoE ε4 allele was not associated with the risk of post-stroke cognitive impairment at 3 or 12 months after stroke. Other factors such as age, body mass index, education level, and initial stroke severity were associated with risk at 3 months.

Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

Chen, J., Chan, L., Hong, C., Hu, C. J., & Hsieh, Y. (2025). Role of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 in cognitive impairment after a stroke: a prospective cohort study. Aging. https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206248

Vancouver

Chen J, Chan L, Hong C, Hu CJ, Hsieh Y. Role of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 in cognitive impairment after a stroke: a prospective cohort study. Aging. 2025. doi:10.18632/aging.206248. PMID: 40349252.

BibTeX

@article{chen2025-40349252,
  author  = {Chen, Jia‐Hung and Chan, Lung and Hong, Chien‐Tai and Hu, Chaur Jong and Hsieh, Yi‐Chen},
  title   = {{Role of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 in cognitive impairment after a stroke: a prospective cohort study}},
  journal = {Aging},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.18632/aging.206248},
  pmid    = {40349252},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206248}
}

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.

How to read this study

Design: this is a follow-up (cohort) study. People are observed over time and not assigned to anything, so an association can reflect other differences between groups. Look at how long follow-up lasted, how many dropped out, and whether the authors adjusted for age, education and other health conditions.
Size: the record gives no participant count. Look for one in the original before trusting a pattern.
Effect: the record gives no effect size, so the summary above cannot say how large any difference was.

What the evidence grade means here

This page is graded moderate. alzhub.org assigns the grade automatically from keywords in the abstract, not from reading the paper. Moderate means the abstract mentions a cohort, case-control or longitudinal design. It can add at most 5 of the 100 points in the study score, and it is a label about design, not a verdict on whether the findings are true.

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Key findings

After adjusting for confounding factors, the ApoE ε4 allele was not associated with the risk of PSCI at 3 or 12 months post-stroke.
Other factors, including age, body mass index, education level, and initial stroke severity, were found to be associated with the risk of PSCI at 3 months.
In patients who developed PSCI at 12 months, only education level and the MoCA score at 3 months were significantly associated with the risk of PSCI.
Our findings suggest that, aside from traditional risk factors, the ApoE ε4 allele does not contribute to the risk of PSCI at 3 or 12 months post-stroke.

Why it matters

In this prospective cohort, the ApoE ε4 allele was not associated with the risk of post-stroke cognitive impairment at 3 or 12 months after stroke. Other factors such as age, body mass index, education level, and initial stroke severity were associated with risk at 3 months.

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Study details

Study designcohort study
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 44/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Aging)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	Aging: journal h-index 162 (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	4 / 5	2025 — within 3 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)
Randomized / blinded	0 / 2	No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	1 / 7	Cited 2 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	0 / 5	0.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025
Impact for its field and year	2 / 6	Cited 1.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	1 / 6	Cited by 1 other studies in this library
Still being cited	0 / 4	Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	2 / 4	Last-listed author Yi‐Chen Hsieh: h-index 27 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	0 / 3	Taipei Medical University: institution h-index 345 (OpenAlex)
Multicenter collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40349252)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	44 / 100	—

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