Cited by 255Dementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchMenopause: Health Impacts and TreatmentsCardiovascular Health and Risk Factors

Combining modifiable risk factors and risk of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Open access
Peters, Ruth, Booth, Andrew, Rockwood, Kenneth, Peters, Jean, D’Este, Catherine, Anstey, Kaarin J·2019·BMJ Open

Abstract

Objective: To systematically review the literature relating to the impact of multiple co-occurring modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia. Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature relating to the impact of co-occurring key risk factors for incident cognitive decline and dementia. All abstracts and full text were screened independently by two reviewers and each article assessed for bias using a standard checklist. A fixed effects meta-analysis was undertaken. Data sources: Databases Medline, Embase and PsycINFO were searched from 1999 to 2017. Eligibility criteria: For inclusion articles were required to report longitudinal data from participants free of cognitive decline at baseline, with formal assessment of cognitive function or dementia during follow-up, and an aim to examine the impact of additive or clustered comorbid risk factor burden in with two or more core modifiable risk factors. Results: Seventy-nine full-text articles were examined. Twenty-two articles (18 studies) were included reporting data on >40 000 participants. Included studies consistently reported an increased risk associated with greater numbers of intraindividual risk factors or unhealthy behaviours and the opposite for healthy or protective behaviours. A meta-analysis of studies with dementia outcomes resulted in a pooled relative risk for dementia of 1.20 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.39) for one risk factor, 1.65 (95% CI 1.40 to 1.94) for two and 2.21 (95% CI 1.78 to 2.73) for three or more, relative to no risk factors. Limitations include dependence on published results and variations in study outcome, cognitive assessment, length of follow-up and definition of risk factor exposure. Conclusions: The strength of the reported associations, the consistency across studies and the suggestion of a dose response supports a need to keep modifiable risk factor exposure to a minimum and to avoid exposure to additional modifiable risks. Further research is needed to establish whether particular combinations of risk factors confer greater risk than others. PROSPERO registration number: 42016052914.

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Authors
Peters, R., Booth, A., Rockwood, K., Peters, J., D’Este, C., & Anstey, K. J.
Affiliations
  • UNSW Sydney (AU)
  • University of Sheffield (GB)
  • Dalhousie University (CA)
  • Australian National University (AU)
Corresponding author
Peters, Ruth
Venue
BMJ Open
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2019-01
Volume
9
Issue
1
Pages
e022846
ISSN
2044-6055 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2912629063
Cited by
255
References
135
Citations by year
2026: 32 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 37 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 4
FWCI
4.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • BMJ Open (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
  • UNSWorks (UNSW Sydney) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • ANU Open Research (Australian National University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • NOVA (University of Newcastle Australia) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
Funders
  • Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation
  • Dalhousie University
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Menopause: Health Impacts and Treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiovascular Health and Risk Factors
Keywords
dementia risk, cognitive decline, modifiable risk factors, comorbidities, risk factor burden, protective behavior, unhealthy behaviours, dose-response relationship
MeSH terms
Dementia, Humans, Risk Factors, Incidence, Cognitive Dysfunction

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