SynthesisInternational journal of molecular sciences2026
Independent and Combined Effects of Obesity and Cardiovascular Diseases on the Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies Involving 8,276,914 Participants.
Synthesis in International journal of molecular sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDementia and cognitive impairment are increasing worldwide, particularly in older adults, imposing substantial health and societal burdens. Obesity and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are recognized risk factors; however, existing evidence is inconsistent, and their combined effects remain poorly understood. This study aimed to assess the independent and joint associations of obesity and CVDs with the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia through a systematic review and meta-analysis.
methodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted across three major electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus) to identify relevant studies published from January 2015 through 30 June, 2025. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to estimate the independent effects of obesity and CVDs on the outcome of interest, reporting the pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), and the certainty of the evidence was evaluated using the GRADE approach.
resultsA total of 25 studies comprising 8,276,914 participants were included. Body mass index (BMI)-defined obesity was associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment (pooled HR = 0.85; 95% CI: 0.74-0.98; I
conclusionBMI-defined obesity was inversely associated with cognitive impairment, whereas central obesity was associated with an increased risk of dementia. Among CVDs, stroke showed the strongest association with incident dementia. However, the overall certainty of evidence across these findings was low, and these findings should be interpreted with caution.
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