Around one in 10 people in the UK aged 70 and over may have brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease, according to a large population-based study published in Nature.
The findings are not a diagnosis, but suggest more than 1 million people could meet NHS criteria for anti-amyloid treatments – far more than previous estimates of about 70,000. Researchers analysed blood samples from nearly 11,500 people using a p-tau217 test, which can detect Alzheimer’s-related changes early.
The prevalence rose sharply with age, affecting fewer than 8% of people in their 50s and 60s, over a third of those in their 70s, and about two-thirds of people over 90.
Experts say the study could improve early detection, but warn current treatments are expensive and not widely available on the NHS, raising major challenges for future care.
