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Vascular risk factor associations with subjective cognitive decline and mild behavioural impairment
Dylan X. Guan, Aditya Aundhakar, Sarah Tomaszewski Farias, Clive G. Ballard, Byron Creese, Anne Corbett, Ellie Pickering, Pamela Roach et al.. Brain Communications, 2025-01-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Having three or more vascular risk factors (odds ratio = 1.23, 95% confidence interval [1.04-1.47]), actively smoking (odds ratio = 1.54, 95% confidence interval [1.29-1.82]), being overweight (odds ratio = 1.46, 95% confidence interval [1.22-1.74]), and having diabetes (odds ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval [1.09-1.53]) were associated with higher odds of subjective cognitive decline. Having any number of vascular risk factors was dose-dependently associated with higher odds of mild behavioural impairment, as were all five vascular risk factors individually; active smokers (odds ratio = 2.67, 95% confidence interval [2.25-3.18]) and obese persons (odds ratio = 2.29, 95% confidence interval [1.91-2.75]) had over twice the odds of mild behavioural impairment.
Key findings
- Having three or more vascular risk factors (odds ratio = 1.23, 95% confidence interval [1.04-1.47]), actively smoking (odds ratio = 1.54, 95% confidence interval [1.29-1.82]), being overweight (odds ratio = 1.46, 95% confidence interval [1.22-1.74]), and having diabetes (odds ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval [1.09-1.53]) were associated with higher odds of subjective cognitive decline.
- Having any number of vascular risk factors was dose-dependently associated with higher odds of mild behavioural impairment, as were all five vascular risk factors individually; active smokers (odds ratio = 2.67, 95% confidence interval [2.25-3.18]) and obese persons (odds ratio = 2.29, 95% confidence interval [1.91-2.75]) had over twice the odds of mild behavioural impairment.
Why it matters
This cross-sectional study found that having three or more vascular risk factors, actively smoking, being overweight, and having diabetes were associated with higher odds of subjective cognitive decline. Any number of vascular risk factors was dose-dependently associated with higher odds of mild behavioural impairment, with active smokers and obese persons having over twice the odds.
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Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Effect size81.0%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 48/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Brain Communications) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Brain Communications: journal h-index 67 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| 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 | 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 | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| 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 | 2 / 7 | Cited 10 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.3× 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 | 1 / 4 | Cited 10 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Zahinoor Ismail: h-index 66 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Calgary: institution h-index 1,028 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40370691) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 48 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaf163
- PubMed: 40370691
- Original source →
- Free full text: Brain Communications →
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'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
Guan, D. X., Aundhakar, A., Farias, S. T., Ballard, C. G., Creese, B., Corbett, A., et al. (2025). Vascular risk factor associations with subjective cognitive decline and mild behavioural impairment. Brain Communications. https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcaf163
Vancouver
Guan DX, Aundhakar A, Farias ST, Ballard CG, Creese B, Corbett A, et al. Vascular risk factor associations with subjective cognitive decline and mild behavioural impairment. Brain Communications. 2025. doi:10.1093/braincomms/fcaf163. PMID: 40370691.
BibTeX
@article{guan2025-40370691,
author = {Guan, Dylan X. and Aundhakar, Aditya and Farias, Sarah Tomaszewski and Ballard, Clive G. and Creese, Byron and Corbett, Anne and Pickering, Ellie and Roach, Pamela and others},
title = {{Vascular risk factor associations with subjective cognitive decline and mild behavioural impairment}},
journal = {Brain Communications},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1093/braincomms/fcaf163},
pmid = {40370691},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcaf163}
}
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