Home › Research › Long-term cohort studies
Severe hypoglycaemia, mild cognitive impairment, dementia and brain volumes in older adults with type 2 diabetes: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort study
Lee AK, Rawlings AM, Lee CJ, Gross AL, Huang ES, Sharrett AR, Coresh J, Selvin E.. Diabetologia, 2018-06-30
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Aims/hypothesis We aimed to evaluate the link between severe hypoglycaemia and domain-specific cognitive decline, smaller brain volumes and dementia in adults with type 2 diabetes, which so far has been relatively poorly characterised. Methods We included participants with diagnosed diabetes from the community-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. At the participants' fifth study visit (2011-2013), we examined the cross-sectional associations of severe hypoglycaemia with cognitive status, brain volumes and prior 15 year cognitive decline.
Key findings
- Methods We included participants with diagnosed diabetes from the community-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.
- At the participants' fifth study visit (2011-2013), we examined the cross-sectional associations of severe hypoglycaemia with cognitive status, brain volumes and prior 15 year cognitive decline.
- We also conducted a prospective survival analysis of incident dementia from baseline, visit 4 (1996-1998), to 31 December 2013.
- Severe hypoglycaemia was identified, using ICD-9 codes, from hospitalisations, emergency department visits and ambulance records.
Why it matters
This study examined links between severe hypoglycaemia and cognitive decline, brain volumes, and dementia in older adults with type 2 diabetes. It is a cross-sectional and survival analysis of associations and does not show that preventing hypoglycaemia treats or prevents Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants580
- Effect size3.1%; OR 2.34; HR 2.54
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 60/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Diabetologia) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Diabetologia: journal h-index 337 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2018 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 580 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 114 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 11.4 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 4 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 33 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Elizabeth Selvin: h-index 114 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Johns Hopkins University: institution h-index 2,306 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 29961106) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 60 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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 8 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.
APA 7th
Lee, A. K., Rawlings, A. M., Lee, C. J., Gross, A. L., Huang, E. S., Sharrett, A. R., et al. (2018). Severe hypoglycaemia, mild cognitive impairment, dementia and brain volumes in older adults with type 2 diabetes: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort study. Diabetologia. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-018-4668-1
Vancouver
Lee AK, Rawlings AM, Lee CJ, Gross AL, Huang ES, Sharrett AR, et al. Severe hypoglycaemia, mild cognitive impairment, dementia and brain volumes in older adults with type 2 diabetes: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort study. Diabetologia. 2018. doi:10.1007/s00125-018-4668-1. PMID: 29961106.
BibTeX
@article{lee2018-29961106,
author = {Lee, A. K. and Rawlings, A. M. and Lee, C. J. and Gross, A. L. and Huang, E. S. and Sharrett, A. R. and Coresh, J. and Selvin, E.},
title = {{Severe hypoglycaemia, mild cognitive impairment, dementia and brain volumes in older adults with type 2 diabetes: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort study}},
journal = {Diabetologia},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1007/s00125-018-4668-1},
pmid = {29961106},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-018-4668-1}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
4 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Long-term cohort studies
Also tagged “biobank”
1,084 studies in the library carry the topic tag “biobank”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,084 tagged studies.