Around one in 10 people in the UK aged 70 and over may have brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease, according to the largest population-based study of its kind.
The research, published in Nature, analysed blood samples from nearly 11,500 people using a biomarker test that can detect Alzheimer’s-related changes early. While this is not a diagnosis, it suggests more than 1 million people could meet NHS criteria for anti-amyloid treatments—far more than current estimates.
The prevalence of these changes rises sharply with age, from under 8% in people in their 50s and 60s to around two-thirds of those over 90. Experts say the findings could transform early detection but warn the NHS would struggle to fund treatment at current costs.
