Journal Article

DZNE-2026-00147

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Prevalence of Alzheimer's disease pathology in the community.

Aarsland, D. ; Sunde, A. L. ; Tovar-Rios, D. A. ; Leuzy, A. ; Fladby, T. ; Zetterberg, H. ; Blennow, K. ; Tan, K. ; De Santis, G. ; Yakoub, Y. ; Arslan, B. ; Huber, H.DZNE* ; Pola, I. ; Grötschel, L. ; Di Molfetta, G. ; Skjellegrind, H. K. ; Selbaek, G. ; Ashton, N. J.

2026
Nature Publ. Group London [u.a.]

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09841-y

Abstract: The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease neuropathological changes (ADNCs), the leading cause of cognitive impairment, remains uncertain. Recent blood-based biomarkers enable scalable assessment of ADNCs1. Here we measured phosphorylated tau at threonine 217 in 11,486 plasma samples from a Norwegian population-based cohort of individuals over 57 years of age as a surrogate marker for ADNCs. The estimated prevalence of ADNCs increased with age, from less than 8% in people 58-69.9 years of age to 65.2% in those over 90 years of age. Among participants aged 70 years or older, 10% had preclinical Alzheimer's disease, 10.4% had prodromal Alzheimer's disease and 9.8% had Alzheimer's disease dementia. Furthermore, among those 70 years of age or older, ADNCs were present in 60% of people with dementia, in 32.6% of those with mild cognitive impairment and in 23.5% of the cognitively unimpaired group. Our findings suggest a higher prevalence of Alzheimer's disease dementia in older individuals and a lower prevalence of preclinical Alzheimer's disease in younger groups than previously estimated2.

Keyword(s): Humans (MeSH) ; Alzheimer Disease: epidemiology (MeSH) ; Alzheimer Disease: pathology (MeSH) ; Alzheimer Disease: blood (MeSH) ; Alzheimer Disease: diagnosis (MeSH) ; Aged (MeSH) ; Prevalence (MeSH) ; Aged, 80 and over (MeSH) ; Male (MeSH) ; Female (MeSH) ; tau Proteins: blood (MeSH) ; tau Proteins: chemistry (MeSH) ; Norway: epidemiology (MeSH) ; Cognitive Dysfunction: epidemiology (MeSH) ; Cognitive Dysfunction: blood (MeSH) ; Cognitive Dysfunction: pathology (MeSH) ; Middle Aged (MeSH) ; Phosphorylation (MeSH) ; Cohort Studies (MeSH) ; Biomarkers: blood (MeSH) ; Age Factors (MeSH) ; tau Proteins ; Biomarkers

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Translational Dementia Research (Bonn) (AG Schneider)

Research Program(s):

1. 353 - Clinical and Health Care Research (POF4-353) (POF4-353)

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Database coverage:
; BIOSIS Previews ; Biological Abstracts ; Chemical Reactions ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Agriculture, Biology and Environmental Sciences ; Current Contents - Life Sciences ; Current Contents - Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences ; DEAL Nature ; Ebsco Academic Search ; Essential Science Indicators ; IF >= 60 ; Index Chemicus ; JCR ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection ; Zoological Record

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