HELSINKI, Feb. 18 -- The incidence of Alzheimer's disease among the working-age population in Finland is on the rise, according to a study published Wednesday by Finnish researchers. Over a period of more than 10 years, the study found a significant increase in cases.

A press release from the University of Eastern Finland, published on Thursday, detailed the collaborative project conducted by the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Oulu, and Neurocenter Finland. The study investigated the prevalence of early-onset dementia (EOD) among working-age individuals by reviewing 12,490 patient records from the Kuopio and Oulu University Hospitals between 2010 and 2021.

The findings revealed that the incidence of Alzheimer's disease nearly doubled among working-age people during the study period, while the rates of other forms of EOD remained stable.

Specifically, the incidence rate of early-onset dementia was 20.5 cases per 100,000 person-years for people aged 30-64, and 33.7 cases per 100,000 person-years for those aged 45-64. A person-year is a unit that combines the number of people and the amount of time they are observed. Alzheimer's disease was the most prevalent subtype, accounting for 48 percent of cases, followed by frontotemporal dementia (23 percent) and dementia with Lewy bodies (6 percent).

The study observed higher incidence rates of early-onset dementia than previously reported in international studies. "The higher incidence rates observed in our study may be attributed to our methodology, which allowed us to capture nearly all EOD cases from the study areas. Additionally, heightened awareness of dementia among the public and healthcare professionals in Finland may also contribute to the high number of diagnosed cases," said Eino Solje, associate professor at the University of Eastern Finland.

However, the nearly doubled incidence rate of Alzheimer's disease cannot be simply explained by better diagnosis and earlier treatment, as researchers did not see an increase in the incidence of other dementias, argued Docent Johanna Kruger, principal author of the study from the University of Oulu.

The findings were published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

  - Xinhua