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46/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 46 out of 100. Long-term cohort studies

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

In the fully adjusted model, the cumulative odds ratios (OR) are 1.28 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25–1.31) for any dementia, 1.44 (95% CI: 1.36–1.53) for Alzheimer’s disease and 1.65 (95% CI: 1.48–1.83) for vascular dementia, associated with per unit increase in annual cumulative flooding exposure over lag 0–6 years. Participants under the age of 65 years (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.33–1.46) and female participants (OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.33–1.49) exhibit a higher risk of incident dementia compared to those aged 65 years and older (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.21–1.28) and male participants (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.23–1.30), respectively. This study provides robust epidemiological evidence supporting the link between floods and an increased risk of dementia. These findings enhance the understanding of the long-term consequences of flood exposure. Using health data from a large population, we found that the risk of dementia was highest in the year of flooding and gradually decreased over six years. People under 65 and women were at higher risk. The study also showed that flooding was linked to two different types of dementia called Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. These findings highlight the need for better public health strategies to protect people in flood-prone areas and reduce long-term health risks. Flooding exposure is linked to an elevated risk of incident dementia, with significant variations observed across age groups and between sexes.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

Wu, Y. Y., Xu, R., Gašević, D., Yang, Z., Yu, P., Wen, B., et al. (2025). UK Biobank data demonstrate long-term exposure to floods is a risk factor for incident dementia. Communications Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-025-00771-4

Vancouver

Wu YY, Xu R, Gašević D, Yang Z, Yu P, Wen B, et al. UK Biobank data demonstrate long-term exposure to floods is a risk factor for incident dementia. Communications Medicine. 2025. doi:10.1038/s43856-025-00771-4. PMID: 40065151.

BibTeX

@article{wu2025-40065151,
  author  = {Wu, Yao Yu and Xu, Rongbin and Gašević, Danijela and Yang, Zhengyu and Yu, Pei and Wen, Bo and Liu, Yanming and Zhou, Guowei and others},
  title   = {{UK Biobank data demonstrate long-term exposure to floods is a risk factor for incident dementia}},
  journal = {Communications Medicine},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.1038/s43856-025-00771-4},
  pmid    = {40065151},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-025-00771-4}
}

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Key findings

In the fully adjusted model, the cumulative odds ratios (OR) are 1.28 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25–1.31) for any dementia, 1.44 (95% CI: 1.36–1.53) for Alzheimer’s disease and 1.65 (95% CI: 1.48–1.83) for vascular dementia, associated with per unit increase in annual cumulative flooding exposure over lag 0–6 years.
Participants under the age of 65 years (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.33–1.46) and female participants (OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.33–1.49) exhibit a higher risk of incident dementia compared to those aged 65 years and older (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.21–1.28) and male participants (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.23–1.30), respectively.
This study provides robust epidemiological evidence supporting the link between floods and an increased risk of dementia.
These findings enhance the understanding of the long-term consequences of flood exposure.
Using health data from a large population, we found that the risk of dementia was highest in the year of flooding and gradually decreased over six years.

Why it matters

In this UK Biobank analysis, greater cumulative flood exposure was associated with higher odds of any dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and vascular dementia, with the highest risk in the year of flooding. The authors say these findings highlight the need for public health strategies to protect people in flood-prone areas.

Study details

Study designcase-control study
Effect sizeOR: 1.39; OR: 1.41; OR: 1.25
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 46/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a case-control study. Scored zero for sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Communications Medicine)
Journal's citation record	0 / 4	Communications Medicine: journal h-index 55 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	6 / 12	A case-control study
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	4 / 5	2025 — within 3 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	3 / 3	Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar)
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	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	1 / 7	Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	0 / 5	0.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025
Impact for its field and year	1 / 6	Cited 0.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	0 / 6	No other study in this library cites it
Still being cited	0 / 4	Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	4 / 4	Last-listed author Yuming Guo: h-index 120 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	University of Edinburgh: institution h-index 1,378 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 3 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40065151)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	46 / 100	—

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

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