Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27729011›Full record

SynthesisBMC geriatrics2016

Environmental risk factors for dementia: a systematic review.

Lewis O J Killin, John M Starr, Ivy J Shiue, Tom C Russ

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC geriatrics, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 186 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
186citing papers in PubMed, 12 pooled it
17.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

186 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 426 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Genetic and environmental risk factors for dementia in African adults: A systematic review.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025
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  3. Is headache a risk factor for dementia? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2024
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126 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Lewis O J KillinAlzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
John M StarrAlzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Ivy J ShiueAlzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Tom C RussAlzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. T.C.Russ@ed.ac.uk.
University of Edinburgh · GBAlzheimer Scotland · GBNorthumbria University · GB

Funding

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilMedical Research Council MR/K026992/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDementia risk reduction is a major and growing public health priority. While certain modifiable risk factors for dementia have been identified, there remains a substantial proportion of unexplained risk. There is evidence that environmental risk factors may explain some of this risk. Thus, we present the first comprehensive systematic review of environmental risk factors for dementia.

methodsWe searched the PubMed and Web of Science databases from their inception to January 2016, bibliographies of review articles, and articles related to publically available environmental data. Articles were included if they examined the association between an environmental risk factor and dementia. Studies with another outcome (for example, cognition), a physiological measure of the exposure, case studies, animal studies, and studies of nutrition were excluded. Data were extracted from individual studies which were, in turn, appraised for methodological quality. The strength and consistency of the overall evidence for each risk factor identified was assessed.

resultsWe screened 4784 studies and included 60 in the review. Risk factors were considered in six categories: air quality, toxic heavy metals, other metals, other trace elements, occupational-related exposures, and miscellaneous environmental factors. Few studies took a life course approach. There is at least moderate evidence implicating the following risk factors: air pollution; aluminium; silicon; selenium; pesticides; vitamin D deficiency; and electric and magnetic fields.

conclusionsStudies varied widely in size and quality and therefore we must be circumspect in our conclusions. Nevertheless, this extensive review suggests that future research could focus on a short list of environmental risk factors for dementia. Furthermore, further robust, longitudinal studies with repeated measures of environmental exposures are required to confirm these associations.

Indexed as

Environmental ExposureDementiaHumansRisk FactorsAlzheimer’s diseaseDementiaEnvironmentEpidemiologyRisk factors

Identifiers

PMID27729011
PMCPMC5059894
OpenAlexW2528415721

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.