Scientists Uncover Alarming Rise in Early-Onset Dementia

Recent research shows an unexpectedly high rate of early-onset dementia in adults under 65, with particularly significant findings for Alzheimer’s, challenging previous data on the condition’s prevalence.

A recent extensive study conducted by the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Oulu, and Neurocenter Finland investigated early-onset dementia among the working-age population in Finland. This study is among the largest of its kind worldwide. The results were recently published in Neurology, the official medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Current epidemiological data on early-onset dementia is scarce and based on small study cohorts, with no recent data from Finland available. For the present study, researchers analyzed patient data registries of Kuopio and Oulu University Hospitals from 2010 to 2021, reviewing all working-age patients diagnosed with dementia during this time period. Both incidence, which is the number of new cases, and prevalence, which is the total number of people affected, were explored. The patient charts of a total of 12,490 individuals were reviewed and classified into diagnostic groups using uniform criteria. The two hospitals diagnose practically all cases of early-onset dementia in their respective provinces, which makes the data highly robust.

Incidence of early-onset dementia is higher than previously reported

The study observed higher incidence rates of early-onset dementia than previously reported in international studies. In the age group 30–64 years, the incidence of early-onset dementia was 20.5 cases per 100,000 person years; and 33.7 cases per 100,000 person years in the age group 45–64 years. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000209654