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Sex differences in the association between major cardiovascular risk factors in midlife and dementia: a cohort study using data from the UK Biobank
Gong J, Harris K, Peters SAE, Woodward M.. BMC medicine, 2021-05-19
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Sex differences in major cardiovascular risk factors for incident (fatal or non-fatal) all-cause dementia were assessed in the UK Biobank. The effects of these risk factors on all-cause dementia were explored by age and socioeconomic status (SES). Methods Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and women-to-men ratio of HRs (RHR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), smoking, diabetes, adiposity, stroke, SES and lipids with dementia.
Key findings
- The effects of these risk factors on all-cause dementia were explored by age and socioeconomic status (SES).
- Methods Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and women-to-men ratio of HRs (RHR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), smoking, diabetes, adiposity, stroke, SES and lipids with dementia.
- Poisson regression was used to estimate the sex-specific incidence rate of dementia for these risk factors.
- Results 502,226 individuals in midlife (54.4% women, mean age 56.5 years) with no prevalent dementia were included in the analyses.
Why it matters
This UK Biobank cohort study assessed sex differences in associations between midlife cardiovascular risk factors and all-cause dementia. It reports associations with risk factors, not a treatment, cure or prevention.
Study details
- Participants502,226
- Effect size54.4%; 45.9%; HR = 0.83
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 64/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (BMC medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | BMC Medicine: journal h-index 259 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| 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 | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 4 / 4 | 502,226 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 117 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 16.7 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 13.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 11 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 68 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Mark Woodward: h-index 173 (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 7 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 34006267) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 64 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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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. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Gong, J., Harris, K., Peters, S. A. E., & Woodward, M. (2021). Sex differences in the association between major cardiovascular risk factors in midlife and dementia: a cohort study using data from the UK Biobank. BMC medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-021-01980-z
Vancouver
Gong J, Harris K, Peters SAE, Woodward M. Sex differences in the association between major cardiovascular risk factors in midlife and dementia: a cohort study using data from the UK Biobank. BMC medicine. 2021. doi:10.1186/s12916-021-01980-z. PMID: 34006267.
BibTeX
@article{gong2021-34006267,
author = {Gong, J. and Harris, K. and Peters, S. A. E. and Woodward, M.},
title = {{Sex differences in the association between major cardiovascular risk factors in midlife and dementia: a cohort study using data from the UK Biobank}},
journal = {BMC medicine},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1186/s12916-021-01980-z},
pmid = {34006267},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-021-01980-z}
}
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