About 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, which analysed blood samples from nearly 11,500 people, found that these changes are far more common than previously thought. While not a diagnosis, the findings suggest more than 1 million people could meet NHS criteria for anti-amyloid treatments, compared with earlier estimates of 70,000.
Prevalence increased sharply with age, rising from under 8% in people in their 50s and 60s to around two-thirds of those over 90. Experts say the results could improve early detection, but warn current treatments are expensive and not widely available on the NHS.
