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Global mortality, prevalence and disability-adjusted life years of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in adults aged 60 years or older, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive analysis for the global burden of disease 2021
Dorothy Yu, Rui-Xuan Li, Jing-Ran Sun, Xue-Wen Rong, Xu‐Guang Guo, Guodong Zhu. BMC Psychiatry, 2025-05-19
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
In 2021, global mortality from AD and other dementias among individuals aged 60 and older reached approximately 1,922,970.75 cases (95% CI: 480,348.08 to 5,104,315.95), and the prevalence was 52,560,253.51 cases (95% CI: 41,399,948.84 to 65,633,448.71). High Body Mass Index (BMI) and High Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) were prominent risk factors. Projections suggest a near fourfold increase in AD cases by 2050, driven by population growth and aging, with females disproportionately affected. Health inequalities persist, with higher disease burdens in high-SDI regions. The pandemic impacted mortality unevenly, highlighting regional disparities. Although incidence rates declined from 1990 to 2021, the overall burden of AD and dementias remains substantial and is expected to rise significantly by 2050. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions addressing risk factors like High FPG, gender disparities, and the socioeconomic effects of COVID-19, particularly in high-SDI countries.
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APA 7th
Yu, D., Li, R.-X., Sun, J.-R., Rong, X.-W., Guo, X., & Zhu, G. (2025). Global mortality, prevalence and disability-adjusted life years of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in adults aged 60 years or older, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive analysis for the global burden of disease 2021. BMC Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06661-2
Vancouver
Yu D, Li R.-X, Sun J.-R, Rong X.-W, Guo X, Zhu G. Global mortality, prevalence and disability-adjusted life years of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in adults aged 60 years or older, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive analysis for the global burden of disease 2021. BMC Psychiatry. 2025. doi:10.1186/s12888-025-06661-2. PMID: 40389943.
BibTeX
@article{yu2025-40389943,
author = {Yu, Dorothy and Li, Rui-Xuan and Sun, Jing-Ran and Rong, Xue-Wen and Guo, Xu‐Guang and Zhu, Guodong},
title = {{Global mortality, prevalence and disability-adjusted life years of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in adults aged 60 years or older, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive analysis for the global burden of disease 2021}},
journal = {BMC Psychiatry},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1186/s12888-025-06661-2},
pmid = {40389943},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06661-2}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- In 2021, global mortality from AD and other dementias among individuals aged 60 and older reached approximately 1,922,970.75 cases (95% CI: 480,348.08 to 5,104,315.95), and the prevalence was 52,560,253.51 cases (95% CI: 41,399,948.84 to 65,633,448.71).
- High Body Mass Index (BMI) and High Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) were prominent risk factors.
- Projections suggest a near fourfold increase in AD cases by 2050, driven by population growth and aging, with females disproportionately affected.
- Health inequalities persist, with higher disease burdens in high-SDI regions.
- The pandemic impacted mortality unevenly, highlighting regional disparities.
Why it matters
In 2021, global mortality from Alzheimer's and other dementias among people aged 60 and older was about 1.9 million, with high BMI and high fasting plasma glucose as prominent risk factors, and cases projected to nearly quadruple by 2050. The paper calls for targeted interventions but does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (BMC Psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | BMC Psychiatry: journal h-index 198 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 41 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 13.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 26.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 41 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Guodong Zhu: h-index 23 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Guangzhou Medical University: institution h-index 468 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40389943) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
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