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Thyroid function and the risk of dementia: The Rotterdam Study
Chaker L, Wolters FJ, Bos D, Korevaar TI, Hofman A, van der Lugt A, Koudstaal PJ, Franco OH et al.. Neurology, 2016-09-16
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective To study the role of thyroid function in dementia, cognitive function, and subclinical vascular brain disease with MRI. Methods Analyses were performed within the Rotterdam Study (baseline 1997), a prospective, population-based cohort. We evaluated the association of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine with incident dementia using Cox models adjusted for age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors, and education.
Key findings
- Methods Analyses were performed within the Rotterdam Study (baseline 1997), a prospective, population-based cohort.
- We evaluated the association of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine with incident dementia using Cox models adjusted for age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors, and education.
- Absolute risks were calculated accounting for death as a competing risk factor.
- Associations of thyroid function with cognitive test scores and subclinical vascular brain disease (white matter lesions, lacunes, and microbleeds) were assessed with linear or logistic regression.
Why it matters
This study evaluated whether thyroid function is associated with incident dementia, cognitive function, and subclinical vascular brain disease. It examines a possible risk factor but does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.
Study details
- Participants9,446
- Effect sizeHR 0.76; HR 1.04
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 60/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (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 | 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 | 1 / 5 | 2016 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 9,446 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 116 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 9.7 citations a year over 12 year(s) since 2016 |
| 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 | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 34 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author M. Arfan Ikram: h-index 167 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 27638924) |
| 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
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Chaker, L., Wolters, F. J., Bos, D., Korevaar, T. I., Hofman, A., van der Lugt, A., et al. (2016). Thyroid function and the risk of dementia: The Rotterdam Study. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000003227
Vancouver
Chaker L, Wolters FJ, Bos D, Korevaar TI, Hofman A, van der Lugt A, et al. Thyroid function and the risk of dementia: The Rotterdam Study. Neurology. 2016. doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000003227. PMID: 27638924.
BibTeX
@article{chaker2016-27638924,
author = {Chaker, L. and Wolters, F. J. and Bos, D. and Korevaar, T. I. and Hofman, A. and van der Lugt, A. and Koudstaal, P. J. and Franco, O. H. and others},
title = {{Thyroid function and the risk of dementia: The Rotterdam Study}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.0000000000003227},
pmid = {27638924},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000003227}
}
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