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 research analysed blood samples from nearly 11,500 randomly selected people using a new p-tau217 biomarker test. While the findings are not a diagnosis, they suggest more than 1 million over-70s could meet NHS criteria for anti-amyloid treatment – far more than current estimates.
Prevalence increased with age, from under 8% in people in their 50s and 60s to about two-thirds of those over 90. Researchers say the results could transform early detection, but warn the NHS could not currently afford to treat everyone who might be eligible.
