A new major study by the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Oulu and Neurocenter Finland explored early-onset dementia in the working-age population in Finland. The study cohort was one of the largest in the world to date, and the findings were published on 24 th of July 2024 in Neurology ® , the 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 to 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. Alzheimer's disease.