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47/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 47 out of 100. Prevention and risk

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Plain-language summary

Purpose of review The epidemiology of dementia is one of the priority fields in aging research. This review aims to highlight the most relevant findings over last years concerning occurrence, risk factors, and prevention of dementia and its major subtypes. Recent findings It is estimated that currently around 24 million people have dementia in the world, with the number being projected to double every 20 years, and that 60% of dementia patients live in developing countries, with the proportion being raised to more than 70% by 2040. Current evidence suggests that vascular factors, such as midlife hypertension, diabetes, and cerebrovascular disease, contribute significantly to the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and that active engagement in mental, physical, and social activities may postpone the onset of dementia by providing cognitive reserve. Summary Dementia represents a major public health challenge as a consequence of rapid increase in the aging population worldwide, especially in developing countries. This challenge can be partly confronted by successful development of preventive strategies. Evidence has emerged that proper control of vascular disorders and maintenance of active lifestyles may prevent or delay the onset and progression of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Intervention trials are warranted to determine, to what extent, such programs are effective against dementia.

What this study adds

Evidence grade: Low

This is a narrative review. This review states that vascular factors like midlife hypertension and diabetes contribute to dementia, and that mental, physical, and social activities may postpone onset by providing cognitive reserve. It calls for intervention trials to determine to what extent such programs are effective.

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

Qiu, C., De Ronchi, D., & Fratiglioni, L. (2007). The epidemiology of the dementias: an update. Current opinion in psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1097/yco.0b013e32816ebc7b

Vancouver

Qiu C, De Ronchi D, Fratiglioni L. The epidemiology of the dementias: an update. Current opinion in psychiatry. 2007. doi:10.1097/yco.0b013e32816ebc7b. PMID: 17551353.

BibTeX

@article{qiu2007-17551353,
  author  = {Qiu, C. and De Ronchi, D. and Fratiglioni, L.},
  title   = {{The epidemiology of the dementias: an update}},
  journal = {Current opinion in psychiatry},
  year    = {2007},
  doi     = {10.1097/yco.0b013e32816ebc7b},
  pmid    = {17551353},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1097/yco.0b013e32816ebc7b}
}

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 narrative review. It summarises a field without a fixed search method, so it shows how authors read the evidence rather than measuring it. Use it to find the primary studies, not as a result in itself.
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 low. alzhub.org assigns the grade automatically from keywords in the abstract, not from reading the paper. Low means the abstract matched neither pattern. It is the default label, and it does not mean the work is poor; many sound lab and imaging papers land here. 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

Current evidence suggests that vascular factors, such as midlife hypertension, diabetes, and cerebrovascular disease, contribute significantly to the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and that active engagement in mental, physical, and social activities may postpone the onset of dementia by providing cognitive reserve.

Why it matters

This review states that vascular factors like midlife hypertension and diabetes contribute to dementia, and that mental, physical, and social activities may postpone onset by providing cognitive reserve. It calls for intervention trials to determine to what extent such programs are effective.

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Study details

Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 47/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, 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 (Current opinion in psychiatry)
Journal's citation record	1 / 4	Current Opinion in Psychiatry: journal h-index 141 (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	1 / 5	2007 — 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)
Randomized / blinded	0 / 2	No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	6 / 7	Cited 420 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	4 / 5	20.0 citations a year over 21 year(s) since 2007
Impact for its field and year	5 / 6	Cited 24.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	3 / 6	Cited by 14 other studies in this library
Still being cited	1 / 4	Cited 8 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	4 / 4	Last-listed author Laura Fratiglioni: h-index 133 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	Karolinska Institutet: institution h-index 1,477 (OpenAlex)
Multicenter collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 3 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17551353)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	47 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

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