About one in 10 people in the UK aged 70 and over may have brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease, according to the first large, population-based study of its kind.
The research, published in Nature, analysed blood samples from nearly 11,500 people using a new p-tau217 biomarker test. While the findings do not mean those affected have dementia, they suggest more than 1 million people could meet current NHS criteria for anti-amyloid treatment — far more than previous estimates.
Researchers say the results could transform early detection, but experts warn the NHS could not currently afford to treat everyone eligible. The study also shows these brain changes become more common with age, rising sharply in people over 70.
