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Thyroid hormones, dementia, and atrophy of the medial temporal lobe
de Jong FJ, den Heijer T, Visser TJ, de Rijke YB, Drexhage HA, Hofman A, Breteler MM.. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2006-04-24
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Context Thyroid function has been related to Alzheimer disease (AD), but it remains unclear whether thyroid dysfunction results from or contributes to developing AD. Objective The objective of the study was to determine the association between thyroid function and both medial temporal lobe atrophy on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as putative early sign of AD and risk of dementia. Design and participants This was a population-based cohort study among 1077 elderly subjects aged 60-90 yr and dementia free at baseline (1995-1996). Main outcome measures Nonfasting serum levels of TSH, free T(4) (fT(4)), T(3), and rT(3) were available in 1025 subjects followed up for incident dementia until 2005. In a subset of 489 nondemented elderly, we assessed volumes of the hippocampus and amygdala on brain MRI. Subjects using thyroid medication were excluded. Results During 5657 person-years of follow-up (mean 5.5 yr), 63 subjects were diagnosed with dementia (46 with AD). TSH and thyroid hormones were not associated with risk of dementia or AD. TSH and T(3) were also not related to brain atrophy, whereas nondemented subjects with higher fT(4) levels had more hippocampal and amygdalar atrophy on MRI. Similar associations were found for rT(3). Excluding subjects with thyroid disorders or incipient AD did not change the results. Conclusion In our study, TSH was related neither to risk of AD nor with early MRI markers thereof, arguing against an important role of thyroid function in the development of AD. Whether the association of higher fT(4) and rT(3) levels with brain atrophy on MRI has functional significance remains to be elucidated.
Key findings
- Context Thyroid function has been related to Alzheimer disease (AD), but it remains unclear whether thyroid dysfunction results from or contributes to developing AD.
- Results During 5657 person-years of follow-up (mean 5.5 yr), 63 subjects were diagnosed with dementia (46 with AD).
- TSH and thyroid hormones were not associated with risk of dementia or AD.
- Excluding subjects with thyroid disorders or incipient AD did not change the results.
Why it matters
In this population-based cohort of 1,025 elderly people followed for a mean of 5.5 years, thyroid-stimulating hormone and thyroid hormones were not associated with risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease, though higher free T4 was linked to more hippocampal and amygdalar atrophy in non-demented subjects. The study found no link between thyroid function and dementia risk and does not support any treatment or prevention based on thyroid hormones.
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Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Participants1,025
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 58/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism: journal h-index 490 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following people over time |
| 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 | 2006 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,025 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| 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 129 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 5.9 citations a year over 22 year(s) since 2006 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.1× 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 21 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Monique M.B. Breteler: h-index 162 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Erasmus MC: institution h-index 1,321 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 16636121) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 58 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1210/jc.2006-0449
- PubMed: 16636121
- Original source →
- Free full text: RePub (Erasmus University Rotterdam) →
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 7 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
de Jong, F. J., den Heijer, T., Visser, T. J., de Rijke, Y. B., Drexhage, H. A., Hofman, A., et al. (2006). Thyroid hormones, dementia, and atrophy of the medial temporal lobe. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2006-0449
Vancouver
de Jong FJ, den Heijer T, Visser TJ, de Rijke YB, Drexhage HA, Hofman A, et al. Thyroid hormones, dementia, and atrophy of the medial temporal lobe. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 2006. doi:10.1210/jc.2006-0449. PMID: 16636121.
BibTeX
@article{dejong2006-16636121,
author = {de Jong, F. J. and den Heijer, T. and Visser, T. J. and de Rijke, Y. B. and Drexhage, H. A. and Hofman, A. and Breteler, M. M.},
title = {{Thyroid hormones, dementia, and atrophy of the medial temporal lobe}},
journal = {The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism},
year = {2006},
doi = {10.1210/jc.2006-0449},
pmid = {16636121},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2006-0449}
}
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