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Target risk factors for dementia prevention: a systematic review and Delphi consensus study on the evidence from observational studies
Deckers K, van Boxtel MP, Schiepers OJ, de Vugt M, Muñoz Sánchez JL, Anstey KJ, Brayne C, Dartigues JF et al.. International journal of geriatric psychiatry, 2014-12-12
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective Dementia has a multifactorial etiology, but the importance of individual health and lifestyle related risk factors is often uncertain or based on few studies. The goal of this paper is to identify the major modifiable risk factors for dementia as a first step in developing an effective preventive strategy and promoting healthy late life cognitive functioning. Methods A mixed-method approach combined findings from a systematic literature review and a Delphi consensus study. The literature search was conducted in PubMed and updated an earlier review by the United States National Institutes of Health from 2010. We reviewed the available evidence from observational epidemiological studies. The online Delphi study asked eight international experts to rank and weigh each risk factor for its importance for dementia prevention. Results Out of 3127 abstracts, 291 were included in the review. There was good agreement between modifiable risk factors identified in the literature review and risk factors named spontaneously by experts. After triangulation of both methods and re-weighting by experts, strongest support was found for depression, (midlife) hypertension, physical inactivity, diabetes, (midlife) obesity, hyperlipidemia, and smoking, while more research is needed for coronary heart disease, renal dysfunction, diet, and cognitive activity. Conclusions Findings provide good support for several somatic and lifestyle factors and will be used to inform the design of a new multicenter trial into dementia prevention.
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APA 7th
Deckers, K., van Boxtel, M. P., Schiepers, O. J., de Vugt, M., Muñoz Sánchez, J. L., Anstey, K. J., et al. (2015). Target risk factors for dementia prevention: a systematic review and Delphi consensus study on the evidence from observational studies. International journal of geriatric psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.4245
Vancouver
Deckers K, van Boxtel MP, Schiepers OJ, de Vugt M, Muñoz Sánchez JL, Anstey KJ, et al. Target risk factors for dementia prevention: a systematic review and Delphi consensus study on the evidence from observational studies. International journal of geriatric psychiatry. 2015. doi:10.1002/gps.4245. PMID: 25504093.
BibTeX
@article{deckers2015-25504093,
author = {Deckers, K. and van Boxtel, M. P. and Schiepers, O. J. and de Vugt, M. and Muñoz Sánchez, J. L. and Anstey, K. J. and Brayne, C. and Dartigues, J. F. and others},
title = {{Target risk factors for dementia prevention: a systematic review and Delphi consensus study on the evidence from observational studies}},
journal = {International journal of geriatric psychiatry},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1002/gps.4245},
pmid = {25504093},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.4245}
}
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Key findings
- Results Out of 3127 abstracts, 291 were included in the review.
Why it matters
This review screened 3,127 abstracts and included 291 observational studies, then asked eight international experts to weigh each risk factor. The strongest support was for depression, midlife high blood pressure, physical inactivity, diabetes, midlife obesity, high cholesterol and smoking; for heart disease, kidney problems, diet and cognitive activity, more research was needed. Because the evidence is observational, it links these factors to dementia risk but does not show that changing them prevents dementia. The authors wrote that the list would be used to design a new dementia-prevention trial.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 62/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. 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 (International journal of geriatric psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: journal h-index 190 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question (from PubMed type “Systematic Review”) |
| 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 | 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 536 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 41.2 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.6× 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 144 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Sebastian Köhler: h-index 56 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Inserm: institution h-index 1,988 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 13 institution(s) in 8 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25504093) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 62 / 100 | — |
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