ArticleJournal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD2021
Red Cell Distribution Width, Anemia, and Brain Volumetric Outcomes Among Middle-Aged Adults.
Article in Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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
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.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Brain Imaging Changes and Related Risk Factors of Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Heart Failure.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2021Pooled it
- Brain pathology in relation to somatic diseases: Exploring the body-brain crosstalk.Journal of internal medicine · 2026Review
- Anemia and Blood Biomarkers of Alzheimer Disease in Dementia Development.JAMA network open · 2026Article
- Metabolic signatures, vitamin D, and red cell distribution width in dementia risk: UK Biobank insights.GeroScience · 2026Article
- Unveiling the predictive synergy of red cell distribution width and peak morning home systolic blood pressure: a dual biomarker approach for cognitive risk stratification in hypertensive minor stroke.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Article
- The elevation of red blood cell distribution width is an independent prognostic factor for juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia.Blood science (Baltimore, Md.) · 2024Article
- Anemia-associated smaller brain volume and sex differences: a cross-sectional study of magnetic resonance imaging in brain health checkups.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2024Article
- Plasma neurofilament light and brain volumetric outcomes among middle-aged urban adults.Neurobiology of aging · 2023Article
- Factors Associated with Poor Olfaction and Olfactory Decline in Older Adults in the ARIC Neurocognitive Study.Nutrients · 2023Article
- Pathways explaining racial/ethnic and socio-economic disparities in incident all-cause dementia among older US adults across income groups.Translational psychiatry · 2022Article
- Cross-Sectional Association Between Blood Cell Phenotypes, Cognitive Function, and Brain Imaging Measures in the Community-Based Framingham Heart Study.Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2022Article
- ΔRDW: A Novel Indicator with Predictive Value for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Multiple Diseases.International journal of general medicine · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAnemia and red cell distribution width (RDW) have been linked to poor cognitive performance, pending studies of underlying mechanisms.
objectiveWe examined cross-sectional relationships of initial RDW status (v1), RDW change (δ), and anemia with brain structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) markers, including global and cortical brain and hippocampal and white matter lesion (WML) volumes, 5-6 years later.
methodsData were used from three prospective visits within the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity Across the Life Span (HANDLS) study with complete v1 (2004-2009) and v2 (2009-2013) exposures and ancillary sMRI data at vscan (2011-2015, n = 213, mean v1 to vscan time: 5.7 years). Multivariable-adjusted linear regression models were conducted, overall, by sex, by race, and within non-anemics, correcting for multiple testing with q-values.
resultsIn minimally adjusted models (socio-demographics and follow-up time), anemiav1 and RDWv1 were consistently associated with smaller bilateral hippocampal volumes overall, and among females (q < 0.05), without significant sex differences. RDWv1 was related to smaller select regional cortical brain gray and white matter volumes in hematological measure-adjusted models; anemiav1 was associated with larger WML volumes only among whites.
conclusionIn summary, baseline anemia and RDW were consistently associated with smaller bilateral hippocampal volumes, particularly among females, while anemia was linked to larger WML volume among Whites. In hematological measure-adjusted models, baseline RDW was linked to smaller regional gray and white matter volumes. Pending studies with sMRI repeats, randomized controlled trials are needed, demonstrating associations of anemia and elevated RDW with reduced brain volumes and cognitive dysfunction.
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Registered trials
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 Socratic graph.