About 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 randomly selected people using a new biomarker test. While the findings are not a diagnosis, they suggest more than 1 million older adults could meet NHS criteria for anti-amyloid treatments – far more than previous estimates.
Prevalence rose sharply with age, reaching around two-thirds of people over 90. Experts say the results could improve early detection, but warn the NHS could not currently afford to treat everyone who might be eligible.
