Alzheimer's on the rise among working-age population

A study reviewed 12,490 patient records and found that early-onset dementia nearly doubled among working-age adults.

The incidence of Alzheimer's disease among working-age adults is on the rise, doubling over a 12-year period, according to a joint study conducted in Finland, local media reported Thursday.

The collaborative project carried out by the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Oulu showed the prevalence of early-onset dementia (EOD) among working-age people by reviewing 12,490 patient records from Kuopio and Oulu University Hospitals between 2010 and 2021.

The study concluded that the incidence of Alzheimer's disease almost doubled among the working-age Finns over the 12-year follow-up period, while the incidence of other forms of EOD remained stable, the national broadcaster Yle reported.

According to findings in the population aged 65, the crude incidence of EOD was 12.3 out of 100,000 people based on 794 new cases from Jan. 1, 2010, to Dec. 31, 2021.

Incidence rates for EOD were 20.5 and 33.7 per 100,000 people in the age groups of 30-64 and 45-64, respectively.

The prevalence of EOD was 110.4 in the age group of 30–64 and 190.3 in 45-64 age group.

The study found that Alzheimer's disease which stood at 48.2% and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia at 12.7% were the most frequent subtypes of dementia.