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AlzRisk Paper Detail
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Reference: Haag, 2009
Cohort: Rotterdam Study
Risk Factor: Statin use


Exposure Detail
The investigators ascertained exposure information by accessing pharmacy records which were available after July 1991. They obtained information on filled prescriptions for all participants. The investigators reported results separately for ever/never statin use, lipophilic statin use, non-lipohilic statin use, duration of use, and dosage of use. This entry pertains to results on the duration of statin use.

The investigators compared incident AD risk in two separate sets of comparison groups: the group of participants who used any type of statins for ≤ 2.9 years ("≤ 2.9 years") and the reference group of participants who did not use statins or any cholesterol lowering drugs prior to the event date ("Never used"); and separately, the group of participants who used statins for > 2.9 years ("> 2.9 years") and the reference group of participants who did not use statins or any cholesterol lowering drugs prior to the event date ("Never used"). Approximately 2% of participants had used or were using statins at the time of diagnosis. The article does not provide the exposure distribution for the study cohort in regards to duration of statin use.

Ethnicity Detail
All participants were residents of the Ommoord district of Rotterdam. No other information regarding ethnicity was given.

Age Detail
All participants were 55 years of age or older.

Screening and Diagnosis Detail
Screening Method:
CAMDEXCambridge Examination for Mental Disorders of the Elderly
GMSGeriatric Mental State Schedule (Copeland 1976)
MMSEMini-Mental State Examination (Folstein 1975)
Neuropsych Testing
Other

AD Diagnosis:
DSM IIIR Diagnostic and Statistical Manual III-Revised
NINCDS ADRDA National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Diseases and Stroke/Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association Criteria (McKhann 1984)

Total dementia definition: Dementia via DSM-IIIR

A panel consisting of a neurologist, neurophysiologist, and a research physician made diagnoses using a three step process. Participants who had a MMSE score of less than 26 or GMS organic level greater than 0 were considered screen-positives and were asked to take the CAMDEX exam, neurological testing and imaging (if available). The panel made diagnoses of dementia and its subtypes by using DSMIII-R and NINCDS-ADRDA criteria.

Covariates & Analysis Detail
Analysis Type:
Cox proportional hazards regression

AD Covariates:
Aage
Eeducation
Ggender
BMIbody mass index
CVDcardiovascular disease
CScerebrovascular symptoms
DMdiabetes mellitus
SMsmoking status
SBPsystolic blood pressure
TCtotal cholesterol
CHLDuse of a cholesterol-lowering drug other than a statin