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 findings are not a diagnosis but suggest that more than 1 million people could meet NHS criteria for anti-amyloid treatments, far more than previous estimates. Researchers analysed blood samples from nearly 11,500 people using a newly approved p-tau217 biomarker test, which can detect Alzheimer’s-related changes early.
The study found prevalence 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 results could transform early detection, but warn the NHS currently could not afford to treat all eligible patients with existing drugs.
